Fire won’t delay West Union ‘green’ project

The fire that destroyed three downtown West Union businesses Saturday will have no impact on a multi-million-dollar plan to make the area a model of environmental sustainability, according to City Administrator Bob Vagts.

All three businesses – Miller Insurance, Shangri La Energy and Body Therapy and an Edward Jones insurance office – were in the six-block downtown business district slated for an upgrade that will include  geothermal heating and cooling,  porous pavement for rainwater capture and reuse, rain gardens and bioswales for storm water retention and energy-efficient street lighting.

Vagts said investigators with the State Fire Marshal's Office were in town Monday but had not yet determined the cause of the fire, which broke out about 3 a.m. Saturday.

Cleanup won't begin until the investigation is complete, he said.

As of Monday, the owners of the businesses had not determined whether they will rebuild in the downtown district, Vagts said.

No one was injured in the fire, which was contained in a single building in the 100 block of South Vine Street.

Vagts said construction on the “green” streetscape project is scheduled to begin later this year.