'A sad day for Elyria:' Former Uncle Vic's, Mardi Gras nightclubs burn

UPDATE: As of 7 a.m., Broad Street was reopened. Kerstetter Way, Washington Avenue and Depot Street near Broad remain closed. Several businesses remain without power. FirstEnergy is working to restore power. UPDATE: As of about 5 a.m., demolition crews were well under way tearing down the former nightclub, starting with the Washington Avenue side. A portion of Broad Street remains closed. UPDATE: As of about 1 a.m. the fire was under control and mutual aid had begun to clear the scene. The building is expected to be demolished early Thursday morning. Crews will be shutting down the Norfolk Southern rail line to allow for excavation equipment to go up onto the nearby train tracks to reach the building, Pronesti said. The excavation equipment will not be able to access the building from Merchant's Alley due to the proximity to the Robinson Building and former Powerhouse Gym. ELYRIA — Bright orange flames lit up the sky in downtown Elyria on Wednesday night as fire ripped through the former Uncle Vic's building. More than a dozen bystanders huddled near the Lorain Port Authority building, watching firefighters from throughout Lorain County battle a blaze at the former nightclub complex Wednesday evening that filled the downtown with thick, dark smoke. Parking lots throughout downtown were uncharacteristically filled with vehicles on a weeknight as people parked to watch the fire that was visible from blocks away. Elyria Assistant Fire Chief Joe Pronesti said crews were called to the scene to find the top three floors of the long-vacant building at 11 Kerstetter Way fully engulfed about 8 p.m. By about 12:30 a.m., Pronesti said the fire is under control. Heavy equipment will take apart the building to knock down some heavy fire. Pronesti told Mayor Frank Whitfield in a live video that the building is too dangerous to send men in. As of press time, Pronesti said it was unclear if anyone had been squatting in the building when the fire started. Mutual aid from fire departments throughout the county were called to the scene or to stand by for other departments that were helping at the Elyria scene. At about 10 p.m., crews were concerned the fire could spread to the Robinson Building at Washington Avenue and Broad Street. The blaze had been controlled on the Kerstetter Way-side of the property, but it had flared on the Washington Avenue side. Around that time, flames were crossing Merchant's Alley, shooting skyward while embers rained down on those watching the scene. Pronesti said the building is constructed with heavy timber, which means there's a lot of open area and fire can travel quickly. "It's a sad day in Elyria," one bystander said as thick black smoke billowed from the site, creating a haze throughout downtown. City officials have advised avoiding downtown Elyria even in the morning as heavy equipment will come through to take down the building. Nearby business owner Dan Martin, who owns a former bank building on 341 Broad St., was in his building Wednesday evening and smelled smoke for about 30 minutes. He couldn't figure out what it was until he heard sirens. That's when he went outside and saw the firetrucks and started watching with disbelief. Martin said with all the historic buildings getting torn down, it hurts even more that one looks to be lost to a fire. He video recorded firetrucks lining the street ready to help as fire overtook the building. "That's crazy," he said in the video. "I hope those buildings in front don't go, too." Built in 1899, the building consisted of four vacant shafts that acted like chimneys for the fire to race through, Pronesti said. For Pronesti's whole career, a fire at 11 Kerstetter Way weighed on his mind, he said. He kept plans of the building in the command vehicle just in case, he said. "This is one of the most dangerous buildings," he said. Thousands of Elyria and Lorain County residents can remember spending time in the building as it was a social hub for young adults for many years. For decades, it was the spot of Uncle Vic's, Rack 'N' Roll Billiards and Mardi Gras. Benchwarmers also had a home there for a while. There were also apartments on the upper floors. Uncle Vic's nightclub opened in 1977 under a different name. Victor "Uncle Vic" Blecman died of pancreatic cancer in late 2019. Blecman had run the club up until about 1979. He partially owned the club until about 1985, when he sold out his share. Uncle Vic's fell on tough times and lost its liquor permit in 2012 after concerns over illegal activities in the building. Police had visited the building 49 times from January 2011 to November 2011. The building was sold in 2015. It is currently owned by Diversified Investments Co. LLC, which is run by Grafton businessman Kevin Flanigan. Bricks fell from the building into Merchant's Alley, forcing it to be blocked off for safety. As of press time, crews remained on scene at the working fire. City officials said nearby residents might see some reduced water pressure, but that should be it. Some areas were reporting that they were without power earlier in the evening, too. As of about 1:30 a.m., Ohio Edison listed 32 Elyria residents without power, with an expected restoration time of 4:30 a.m. Pronesti said it was one of the top fires he's seen in his career, but that fire crews "saved an entire block downtown." "These old buildings, they can go up rather fast in a fire," he said in the video. "But the first arriving crews did an amazing job." Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.