By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
A roaring fire that swept through a commercial building containing two restaurants in Sea Isle City’s historic Fish Alley neighborhood caused the roof to collapse and now the entire structure must be demolished.
The blaze was reported at 5:06 p.m. Wednesday at the Casa Taco restaurant at 4210 Park Road, authorities said. Casa Taco sustained extensive damage and the adjacent Casino Pizza was also damaged.
Neil Byrne, Sea Isle’s construction official, said the building has been declared an “imminent hazard” and will have to be demolished.
No injuries were reported in the fire. The cause is under investigation by the Sea Isle City Police Department along with the Cape May County and state fire marshals, according to a news release.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaSOmgoqHPY
Police set up barricades around the building in the fire’s aftermath. The doors and windows to both restaurants have been boarded up.
“We’re heartbroken to share that Casa Taco was engulfed in flames, and the roof collapsed in,” according to a statement posted on social media by the restaurant’s owner, Victor Loaeza.
The statement expressed thanks to the firefighters and other emergency responders who battled the blaze.
“The most important thing is that everyone is safe,” Loaeza said. “We can’t thank our fire departments and emergency personnel enough for their quick response and bravery. We’ll keep you updated as we move forward.”
Fire departments from Sea Isle, Avalon, Marmora, Ocean City, Ocean View and Strathmere responded to the scene. The fire was declared under control within an hour.
The staff at Casa Taco called 911 to report the fire and the building was evacuated. Authorities also evacuated other nearby buildings as a precaution, the news release said.
Flames shoot out of the top of the building on Park Road. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Doyle-Waid)
Mike Monichetti, owner of Mike’s Seafood & Dock Restaurant, located a block over from the fire on Park Road, expressed relief that the wind did not sweep the flames in the direction of his iconic eatery.
“If the wind from the fire had changed direction, Mike’s Seafood & Dock Restaurant could have been easily engulfed in fire and smoke. It would have taken Mike’s Seafood with it,” Monichetti said.
Mike’s Seafood, a family-owned restaurant in business for 113 years, is one of the landmarks of historic Fish Alley.
“That would have been very tragic not only for the people who love Mike’s Seafood & Dock Restaurant, but also for the 60 employees that work here. It would have also been a tremendous loss for the city,” Monichetti said if the fire had destroyed his restaurant.
Employees at Mike’s Seafood worked overnight to clean off smoke that had accumulated on the restaurant’s awning and other parts of the building. The restaurant was open for business on Thursday.
“We’re very fortunate and blessed that Mike’s Seafood escaped serious damage,” Monichetti said.
Onlookers gather underneath the Welcome to Historic Fish Alley sign to watch fire crews battle the blaze. (Photo courtesy of Facebook)
The commercial building containing Casa Taco and Casino Pizza is located in the heart of Fish Alley, an enclave of longtime, family-owned restaurants and fishing boat operators rooted in Sea Isle’s early history as a commercial seaport. It is just steps away from the iconic, arched “Welcome to Historic Fish Alley” sign that greets visitors on Park Road.
Over the years, the building has included other restaurants as tenants. Before Casa Taco and Casino Pizza, it was occupied by the Andrea Trattoria Italiana II restaurant and the Berardi Brothers pizzeria.
According to Sea Isle Tax Collector Maureen Conte, the building is owned by an outfit called AKGG LLC. The property’s assessed value is just under $1.5 million.
Sea Isle-based AKGG is described in online business records as a real estate leasing and rentals company. Local business owners said AKGG is an acronym for the sisters who own the property, Anna Kelly and Gloria Giampietro. AKGG’s representatives could not be reached for comment Thursday about the fire.
In 2018, the bayside property was up for sale for $6 million. It was being marketed at that time as a development site for a three-story complex featuring 20 units of multi-family housing on the top two floors. In addition, there would have been 25 parking spots, eight boat slips and 8,745 square feet of commercial space on the first floor.
However, the redevelopment project wasn’t built, and the existing commercial building remained standing. Now that same building will be demolished following the devastating fire.
To view a Facebook video by Sean Sharkey of the fire, click here: https://www.facebook.com/694146440/videos/3837192176560732/
