First it was a collapsed office, now it is a fire next door, Pierce Keller and Associates is facing destruction again. Julie Keller and her husband had purchased and were in the process of renovating 504 Maple Street when adjacent buildings on Murray’s square caught fire overnight Tuesday.
Keller’s first office was a casualty in the February collapse of the Gatlin Building. She said the building’s firewall prevented the new office from burning, though it did not avoid damage.
“We’ve had a rough year but fortunately we haven’t lost anything,” Keller said. “We are still operating at 304 Maple Street… We’re hopeful that we may have a set back a little bit but not actually fully shut down.”
Keller is waiting to hear what smoke and water damage the building has sustained. Though bad luck seems to hover around Murray’s downtown infrastructure, Keller says she and her colleagues plan to stay put.
“It is important to us… as a financial operation of the city to stay in the heart of it and to be a part of the community,” Keller said. “I think, you know, barring any more unforeseen circumstances, this is the area that we do want to be in.”