Chelsea Building Gutted by Early Morning Fire

It was bound to happen, and at the same time seemed it never would. The perennial eyesore at 210 7th Avenue was finally gutted by flames early Sunday morning in a three alarm blaze of unknown origin.

The smell of smoke infiltrated the neighborhood, but Sam’s deli, which is immediately adjacent to the property, was not affected by the fire. The residence at 208 West 22nd Street, however, was not so lucky, as a chimney from 210 fell on to it, causing water damage and structural damage to the roof and upper floors.

The fire began around 6 a.m. on April 12, triggering a two alarm response from the FDNY, which by 6:24AM escalated to a third alarm. Sixty-three units of the FDNY and EMS with 197 people responded. The fire was brought under control about two hours later. Four firefighters suffered minor injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment. West 22nd Street remained closed to traffic through 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The building at 210 West 22nd Street is no stranger to media coverage. Chelsea News has featured it in multiple articles as it has remained all but abandoned, and inarguably in dangerous disrepair, for over twenty years. The owner, Erroll Rainess, is said to have numerous dilapidated properties elsewhere in New York, and allegedly some in Florida and perhaps Europe as well. He could not be reached for comment.

New York State Senator Erik Bottcher, however, who has been effortfully trying to remedy the problematic property while he represented the area on the city council offered this: “The fire at 210 Seventh Avenue this morning is a stark reminder of the risks posed by long-neglected buildings. I’m grateful to FDNY Engine 3, Ladder 12 for their swift response in bringing the situation under control. This property has been the subject of a long and frustrating saga, with an absentee owner allowing it to sit boarded up for years.” His hopes that the structure might be preserved rather than demolished seem somewhat unrealistic, however, according to firefighters on the scene. According to the FDNY member with whom I spoke, there would be an attempt to contact Rainess and require him to construct a scaffolding around the perimeter of his property, a sad reenactment of the one that was removed in 2019 by Bottcher’s own advocacy. If he does not comply, the city will construct a surrounding shed and bill him accordingly.

Detective Perez of the NYPD said there were no displacements in the building, referring to its structural integrity. A heartbreaking demolition is sure to ensue, regardless of how beautiful the brickwork and even the windowed top floor addition once was, long ago. When questioned as to whether there was any suspicion of arson or criminality to the genesis of the conflagration Perez could only say that a full investigation would be undertaken, but said the potential that the fire was suspicious in origin was “on the right track.”

For now, the community and passersby alike are stopping to gawk at the charred infrastructure that remains. The artist who had created the whimsical pink, black and white Chelsea mural on the building’s exterior with Rainess’ blessings had been igranted permission by him to redo the mural, and was in the midst of procuring funding to pay for paint and supplies to put a more beautiful bandage on the neighborhood eyesore. Those ambitions have obviously now literally gone up in smoke, and it is only a matter of time before the process of whatever sort of reimagination of 210 7th Avenue will begin, and as is the case with every construction project in city, we’ll have a ways to go before the address will once again be a livable or workable site.