After the Fire: How Downtown Holly is Healing
(Liam Feeney, Feb. 16, 2023)
Holly, MI – As warmer weather approaches and people begin thinking of the festivals, parades and other festivities in Downtown Holly, it seemed fitting to do an update on how the Downtown in recovering from the devastating fire of June 21, 2022.
The fire began in Arcade Antiques and quickly spread to neighboring Holly Hotel and Andy’s Place. The Arcade was reduced to rubble. The neighboring restaurants were severely damaged. Beyond that, nearby businesses like The Moose Lodge and Creative Fashions suffered damage from the massive amounts of water that were pumped onto the flames to keep them from spreading further. Over a dozen fire departments came that day, to back up the Village of Holly firefighters in the daylong fight while the historic buildings and antiques within them provided powerful fuel for the fire.
For months a chain-link fence has provided a barrier between the public and the rubble. The pile of bricks that was all that remained of the antique shop has finally been removed and the cordoned off area has tightened up around the Holly Hotel which is now being repaired.
On Feb. 10 work crews secured the trusses to replace the section of the roof at the back of the establishment that had burned. “As soon as she is ‘buttoned up’ we can start on the inside!” was posted on the Holly Hotel Facebook page. While there has been no rebuilding as of yet at the antique site, across the alley from there, Creative Fashions had their grand re-opening ribbon cutting on Feb. 3 as part of Downtown Holly’s “Galentines” event.
Owner Jerome Raska told Oakland County Times he was humbled by how many people came out on a cold day to show their support. The store is known for its thoughtfully curated selection of clothing that mainly appeals to women of all ages and sizes, as well as jewelry, bags and accessories. But now the space is redesigned for more of a boutique feel, with antique items and other artsy treasures to delight shoppers.
The back section of Arcade Antiques abutted Andy’s Place, and the fire damaged the roof and back wall of the establishment which had a restaurant on the main level and an apartment above. According to Downtown Development Authority Director Nick Klempp, permits have been pulled for that building to be repaired also.
Holly Moose Lodge is structurally sound, but needed a lot of repair due to water damage. Volunteers helped gut the place, and they’ve been posting pictures of their progress on Facebook. The community looks forward to the re-opening of the Holly Moose which could happen over the summer. The timeline is not known for the other impacted businesses.
Klempp noted that for those that were affected by the fire, the community made sure to step up and help them along the way.
“The DDA first responded in partnership with Main Street Oakland County in providing resources through MI Works for people that were out of work and meeting with the business owners to see how we could work together to move forward as best as possible” said Kempp.
“Ron Campbell, from Main Street Oakland County, has been available to all the surrounding businesses to help in redesigning and reestablishing the buildings and businesses in the most historically accurate way. We coordinated fundraising throughout the summer through events and an online fundraiser. That, with the help of other local fundraisers and a grant through the DDA, raised over $80,000 that went to help the building owners, businesses, workers and tenants that were all impacted by the fire.”
DDA Board Member Linda Stouffer is the owner of Battle Alley Coffee, less than a block away from the roaring fire. She is grateful that the firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading, and she’s also grateful for the way the community has been supporting each other. “The community rallied from initial point of the fighting of the fire, by bringing water and refreshments to the first responders, to currently by supporting fundraising,” she said “We have an awesome community here that supports their small businesses.”
Despite the devastation felt by the fire Holly showed its perseverance. The Farmers Market, Halloween Celebrations, and the annual Holly Dickens Festival went off without a hitch.
Through it all, Holly has continued pushing on and doesn’t show signs of stopping any time soon.
Learn more about Holly:
Holly Area Chamber of Commerce
