Apartments will be rebuilt on site of massive SouthPark Charlotte fire that killed 2
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SouthPark Fire
On May 18, 2023, a five-alarm fire broke out at a construction site in SouthPark. Two men died as a result of the blaze.
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A Florida developer plans to demolish what’s left and “fully rebuild” at its gutted apartment project in SouthPark where two construction workers died in a massive fire in May, the company said Tuesday.
The building was under construction when flames erupted, killing workers Demonte Tyree Sherrill and Reuben Holmes on the sixth floor.
Fifteen other workers were rescued, including a crane operator who was stranded 160 feet in the air for more than an hour, with the crane threatening collapse. He was rescued by Charlotte firefighters. No fire personnel were injured.
The fire was accidental and started in a spray-foam insulation trailer at the site, Charlotte Fire Department fire chief Reginald Johnson said at the time.
In June, the Charlotte Fire Department said a contractor building the luxury apartments violated the state fire code. No fire inspection was done at the Modera SouthPark construction site, where the five-alarm fire occurred.
That’s because the contractor failed to alert the Charlotte Fire Marshal’s office about its construction and progress, as Mecklenburg County requires, the fire department said in a news release.
In a statement Tuesday shared with the Observer, Boca Raton-based Mill Creek Residential said it will rebuild both buildings in its Modera SouthPark community “despite the tragic fire that occurred on May 18.”
The Charlotte Business Journal first reported the developer’s plans.
Demolition plans
The demolition contractor in July filed for a permit to complete the tear-down of the structure, Mecklenburg County public records show. The permit was granted earlier this month.
“Mill Creek is the developer of this site,” the permit request says. “There was a tragic fire during the construction of this building. RCI is going to be demolishing the two concrete platforms that remained after the fire.”
The same contractor filed for demolition of another badly damaged structure that was under construction close-by at the time of the fire. On site, crews were building two structures — twin apartment buildings.
For the second building, a demolition permit was filed Monday, county code enforcement records show. According to public records, the second permit has not yet been approved.
“We hope to complete all demolition activities by the end of 2023 and start the rebuild process immediately thereafter,” a Mill Creek spokesperson said in Tuesday’s statement. “The plans for the community will remain the same.”
Mill Creek development
Mill Creek is cooperating with state and local authorities investigating the the circumstances behind the fire, the company spokesperson said.
“We take matters relating to safety very seriously and are forever mindful of the grief caused by this unfortunate tragedy,” according to the Mill Creek statement.
The company’s projects “are designed and constructed to comply with local and national safety codes,” the Mill Creek spokesperson said. “We will also continue to implement best practices to help avoid situations like this in the future, including during construction.”
Editor Anna Douglas contributed reporting.
This story was originally published September 20, 2023 at 8:44 AM.
