Picking up the pieces: Artists, business owners return to site of massive Red Hook warehouse fire
Five days later, the business owners returned to the site, joining other impacted neighbors. The city's Small Business Services set up a mobile location to assist them.
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When a fire at a massive warehouse last week in Red Hook destroyed years’ worth of artists work – they were left with no choice but to try and pick up the pieces.
"Definitely have like 15 years of accumulated life's work in there. It's all just disseminated," said Jean Lee. Lee and her business partner, Dylan Davis, own a design studio, Ladies and Gentleman Studio.
"We've had time to have all the roller coaster of emotions around it. And I don't know – it still feels really surreal," said Davis.
Five days later, the business owners returned to the site, joining other impacted neighbors. The city's Small Business Services set up a mobile location to assist them.
"We are the liaisons," said Bernadette Nation, chief executive director of the Division of Business Services Emergency Response and Intergovernmental Services. "We're going to take all of their concerns, and we are going to study them and actually locate and find the resources that are available to them for their particular needs."
Artists and business owners said they were frustrated by being denied access to assess the damages. But they said no matter what, nothing will keep them down forever.
"The art is inside the artist and we can create more and just having to let go of what's gone if it's not salvageable," said Judith Hooper.
SBS reps said they will continue to assist anyone affected by the fire.
