Downtown Denville is rallying around the Main Street businesses that lost so much in the early morning fire on June 2.
The Downtown Denville Business Improvement District, the nonprofit that promotes the town’s downtown shopping district, has launched a donation campaign to help the affected owners recover and rebuild.
The fire was called in by a passerby just before 1 a.m. on East Main Street. It heavily damaged Cafe Crevier, the four-year-old pizzeria, leaving the building unusable, and also hit an adjacent chocolatier and two other businesses. Authorities reported heavy interior damage, structural damage, and a partial roof collapse. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office referred the case to its Arson/Environmental Crimes Unit, which reviews all commercial property fires.
Every dollar raised will be administered by the BID, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. A subcommittee will oversee how the money is distributed, with funds going only to the businesses directly affected through a formal application process. All decisions will be reviewed and approved by the BID board during open public meetings.
If those businesses end up fully covered by insurance, any leftover money will go toward improvements along the damaged Main Street corridor.
Early support has already come in, with donations ranging from $5 to $580, and no fixed goal has been set. Residents who want to pitch in can give through the campaign’s online donation page.
Our team covered the original fire earlier this month.
