photo credit: Michaela Crawford
photo credit: Scott Doolittle
Roads have been closed in downtown Concord due to a fire early Tuesday morning, according to police.
A fire struck a commercial structure in the area of Sunset Avenue and East Street in Concord, the Contra Costa County Fire Department said. Around 30 minutes later, the fire department announced the blaze had been knocked down.
Motorists are still advised to avoid the area.
The following roads are closed:
– Clayton Road and Oakland Avenue
– Clayton Road and Grant Street
– Park and Grant streets
– Colfax Street and Concord Boulevard
– East Street and Concord Boulevard
– First Street and Sinclair Avenue
– BART parking lot on Park Street
This is the old Giovanni’s Bar and Grill building on the triangular lot bordered by Sunset Avenue, Clayton Road, and East Street, which has been undergoing renovations and remodeling for the past few years.
This is the same building that a black homeless woman was brutally murdered and gutted about 8 months or so ago. It never made the papers. I called CPD and they denied it///
OK JAN…… how’d you find out about it?
Those silly “unhoused” people at it again?
Insurance controlled burn. All speculation here but was taking way too long to renovate “lotta stops and starts, years” guessing dealing with the price of things and code compliance it was difficult to finish so “poof”
once again all speculation, no proof
Plus, this is the second time this place has caught fire.
Finally the bums burned down that eyesore…
For 21 years my office overlooked that dump from across the street. When occupied the structure had serious water intrusion issues. When vacant it was a haven for homeless. The “renovation” attempts were sporadic and unsuccessful.
I’m hoping the remainder of the structure is demolished and the lot gets sold. Concord deserves better.
Scott, impressive photos, well done !
Years back was impressed with building’s landscaping and water feature, were a good fit for the building.
Fire caused by extreme friction between mortgage papers and insurance papers?
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Or vagrants?… both are highly plausible.
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Btw, I think it would be a good location for housing… very close to BART, a single lot on its own block, on the perimeter of downtown, and the availability of nearby goods and services .
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Get rid of it all together. An empty lot would be a welcome sight.
I’m beginning to believe that Mayor Edi Birsan is bad luck for the City of Concord, as he was the Mayor of Concord when the 5-story Renaissance Squre Phase II buildings in downtown Concord were under construction when they burned in the early morning hours of April 24, 2018, due to arson, and now we’ve had the late night/early morning fire at the 3-story former Giovanni’s Bar and Grill building in downtown Concord, while it has been undergoing years long renovations and remodeling.
Someone should ask him about the money from the weed businesses.
MAGA SAM,
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Mayor Edi Birsan has been supportive of bringing all segments of the legalized Marijuana industry to Concord.
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How much has he received to be “supportive” is the question?
…maybe the new rent control law that was forced onto Concord’s citizen has something to do with this?
Insurance job! That place ran out of money for renovations and has sat vacant for
Months and poof up in smoke . A huge fire blazing within a couple minutes. Cmon