Owner of Downtown Building Devastated By Fire Plans to Rebuild

The owner of the downtown Evanston building that burned to the ground last Sunday says he hopes to eventually rebuild.

The fire that started at Pine Yard Restaurant, 1033 Davis Street, quickly spread to Technicolour Nails 1 and Taco Diablo next door, destroying all three properties. Fire officials have said the damage was so bad that the building must be demolished. 

George Radaios, who owns the property, described it as a "total loss." He said he planned to speak with an insurance adjuster Friday to find out how much money he would get on the claim. Regardless, he said he wants to rebuild and hopes to put up something similar to the one-story brick building that housed the two restaurants and nail salon.

"We will try to do it right," Radaios said.

He said it was too soon to tell how long rebuilding would take, or how much it would cost.

Taco Diablo co-owner Daniel Kelch told Patch earlier that he hopes to reopen the restaurant on Davis, and TechniColour Nails owner Jennifer Vatamaniuc said she, too, wants to remain in the same space.  

However, Vatamaniuc said that if rebuilding takes more than 15 months, she might have to relocate elsewhere in the city.

"I definitely want to stay in Evanston," she said. "I’m just going to wait to see all the finer numbers on my insurance, what I have to deal with and then I’ll take it from there."

While the business is closed, Vatamaniuc said customers can redeem gift certificates at two other TechniColour Nails locations: 5641 W. Dempster St. in Morton Grove or at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie. She said they could also contact her at jennga2006@gmail.com for more information.

"I’m still working over the shock of everything that happened," she said. "I’m a little numb about everything."