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Inwood Commercial Building Destroyed by 2012 Fire to Be Rebuilt, Owner Says

By Nigel Chiwaya | July 26, 2013 9:10am
 TD Bank will be the first tenant to move into 4941 Broadway when it opens next summer, the building's landlord said.
4941 Broadway To Be Rebuilt
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INWOOD — The Inwood commercial building that was destroyed in a fire early last year will be rebuilt — and a major bank will be among the first tenants.

While it currently sits as a vacant lot, reconstruction plans for 4941 Broadway at West 207th Street call for a brand new commercial space, and will be anchored by a TD Bank, the building's owner said.

Larry Hilaire, a representative of owner BLDG Oceanside LLC, told DNAinfo New York Thursday that the two-story commercial building would be ready next summer.

"Construction started [Thursday] and it should be completed in about May or June," Hilaire said.

When it is completed, the 20,000-square foot building will have additional retail space on the second floor, although Hilaire said that no other tenants have signed on yet.

A site plan for the building, submitted to the Department of Buildings, shows that eight new trees will be planted around the building, with six lining Broadway and two being placed on West 207th Street.

The building, formerly home to several mom-and-pop small businesses, was destroyed in a devastating fire on Jan. 3, 2012. It took 138 firefighters to extinguish the blaze.

The inferno left several businesses homeless, including  Bread and Yoga, Dichter's Pharmacy, Furry Fiends, Splash Laundromat, Bank of America, Citibank and a lawyer's office.

Several of the businesses have found new homes in the area: Furry Fiends moved across 207th Street; Dichter's bounced around Broadway before opening up right next door to the fire site in May; and Bread and Yoga operated out of a nearby church for over a year before finding a new space on 212th Street earlier this month.