Millbrae begins the long road to recovery: City mourns community center loss in wake of blaze, looks to rebuild

Though disheartened by the destruction of the facility which was appreciated by so many residents, Millbrae Mayor Anne Oliva pledged a commitment to rebound from the blaze under investigation by fire and law enforcement officials as possible arson.

“Our plan is to rebuild,” said Oliva. “With our given situation, we will look toward any opportunity to find out how we can make this a positive thing.”

City officials, residents, local business and other support organizations are in the midst of establishing a strategy for relocating the variety of displaced programs formerly hosted at the facility, said Oliva, and another community meeting has been scheduled Monday, Aug. 8, at City Hall, 621 Magnolia Ave., to discuss a more detailed vision for the future.

In immediate terms, the youth programs currently held at the community center will be moved to Taylor Middle School and the weekend’s Relay For Life event is set to be relocated to Spring Valley Elementary School.

Millbrae City Manager Marcia Raines said a top priority for city officials was to ensure adequate accommodations exist for youth summer camps formerly held at the center, and plans for hosting the variety of other programs are still in the works.

Raines pledged a commitment to ensure space would be identified for the meeting groups currently seeking a new location to hold meetings.

“Everyone is coming together, it is a wonderful community,” said Raines. “We will find a place for you to continue your meetings.”

The Millbrae Community Foundation established a fund to take in donations paying toward recovery efforts as well, said Oliva, while law enforcement and fire officials continue to look into the origin of the mysterious fire started in the courtyard outside the building around 4 a.m. Thursday, July 21.

Central County Fire Chief John Kammeyer said no new information is available regarding the start of the fire, but investigators are looking into a possible link between the community center blaze and the small arsons which were recently set by an unknown suspect at Taylor Middle School.

“We are looking at everything,” said Kammeyer.

Fire crews responded to the four-alarm fire at the Millbrae Community Center, at 477 Lincoln Circle, early Thursday morning to find the facility ablaze. No one was injured, but the building was lost as firefighters struggled to dampen the flames, due in part to material used for acoustics in the building’s ceiling which cramped attic spaces and presented difficulties accessing the fire’s source, said Kammeyer.

The total value lost in the fire is yet to be determined, according to Kammeyer, but the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was brought in to help investigate, as the worth of the building is greater than $1 million.

The facility was insured under a policy offered by the Association of Bay Area Governments, said Raines, and city officials met with insurance agents Friday, July 22, to discuss next steps for cost recovery.

During the Friday morning community meeting, many residents posed questions regarding temporary locations for the variety of programs formerly held at the community center, while some expressed concerns about the safety of other Millbrae landmarks.

John Muniz, president of the Millbrae Historical Society, said the possibility of arson made him fearful of a potential similar threat to the Millbrae Museum, at 420 Poplar Ave.

“I’m very concerned in light of the fact arson has been suspected at the rec center,” he said. “The museum is totally made out of wood. It would go up in 10 minutes, I guarantee you and it would be a great loss to this community.”

Following the meeting, Muniz said the loss of the recreation facility was a tremendous hurdle for the community to overcome.

“It’s a terrible situation,” he said.

Officials will spend the weekend and following days establishing a site to host meeting places for other community grounds, said Oliva.

“We are trying to relocate as many programs as possible,” she said.

Looking ahead, Oliva reiterated the commitment of officials and residents toward working together in rebounding from the blow dealt by the loss of the community center.

“We’re going to rebuild the building located in, and known as, the center of our city,” she said.

Those interested in finding out more information about temporary hosting locations for the variety of other programs formerly held at the community center are encouraged to visit the city’s website.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 105