HOULTON, Maine — The owner of a Houlton apartment complex that burned to the ground in March and claimed the life of a 4-year-old boy is vowing to rebuild.
Kerry Simpson of WLR Residential Properties Inc. said Thursday that he plans to rebuild at the 5 Mechanic St. location, which was the site of the fatal fire on March 23.
The announcement that WLR Residential Properties Inc. plans to rebuild comes as welcomed news to renters in the community because vacant apartments are often difficult to come by.
“Our full intentions are to rebuild with a new apartment building,” Simpson said. “We have some plans drawn up and our intentions are to move forward.”
The state Fire Marshal’s Office has yet to release an official cause of the blaze that claimed the life of 4-year old Taimi Pinkham of Houlton. Pinkham’s 4-year-old twin sister did not have serious injuries, but his 12-year-old brother received serious burn injuries.
The fatal fire was still an active investigation and was being reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office, Shannon Moss, public information officer for the Maine State Police, said in a July 5 email.
The 14-unit apartment building was destroyed, displacing roughly 28 people. Since that time, donations poured in from the surrounding community, with the town of Houlton receiving $29,256 to assist fire victims.
Exactly how big of an apartment complex that new structure will be has yet to be determined as Simpson said he was exploring funding assistance through a Rural Development Grant.
The vast majority of the site, which is located in Houlton’s downtown, has been cleared of any remnants of the fire. A retaining wall is currently being constructed in the back portion of the lot.
Houlton Town Manager Marian Anderson said the site is located in the town’s B-1 (central business zone) and would require permit approval from the town’s planning board before any work could begin. She added the town has been working with Simpson to explore grant opportunities, but no official paperwork has been filed for construction.
Simpson said he considered building a new structure in a different location, since the 100-foot by 150-foot lot has some challenges, but had a change of heart when speaking to several members of the community who encouraged him to rebuild at the same location.
“Our intent is for this to be a really nice building,” Simpson said. “We want the building to be something the town of Houlton will be proud of.”
