As I write this, the building is still smoldering.
Countless individuals worked tirelessly throughout the evening dealing with heat, exhaustion, and the fire itself. Their efforts in the light of day are even more impressive. When you see the devastation of the hotel, you realize how fortunate we are that it didn’t spread. Again, Kudos to Chief Joe Henning and the entire Quincy Fire Department. Being around the city officials again this morning, there is no doubt where credit is due. Every department head I spoke to and said thank you to gave me the same response, “It was all the Fire Department”. The Fire Department officials, who are always professional and humble gentlemen, just say a quite “Thank You” and proceed to get back to work.
Today I spoke with every business in the affected area. They were all incredibly thankful for the efforts of the QFD, QPD, Adams County EMA and so many others. They are eager to be open and serve our community.
We do not yet know when the streets will be reopened and when traffic will be diverted. We don’t know yet when demolition will begin. We know that City officials are working very hard to find a demolition company that can get here quickly and get the building to a safe condition. We anticipate this will start sometime this weekend, but until a demolition company has been secured, no timeline can be set. We do know that every business already has pedestrian accessibility, and that as soon as is safe City officials will open the streets to automotive traffic as well.
This community lost a treasure last night. Many in this community are devastated by the loss. I will share a few of their stories that touched me in the coming days. For now, let me just say that we appreciate the comments and are saddened along with you for the community’s loss.
-Travis Brown, Executive Director