Repairs, lease changes underway following garden center fire

Update: From the Wall Street Journal: MTA plans to sue New York City over fire

It has been two months since the four-alarm fire at Urban Garden Center in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City damaged the Metro Transit Authority rail tracks and structures above the business, and recovery is continuing for all parties.

When fuel spilled onto a hot generator and kicked off the blaze that destroyed Urban Garden Center's back office in May, supports for the Metro-North Railroad tracks overhead were also damaged. According to lohud.com, repairs were approved by the MTA for the damaged sections, with temporary fixes planned for installation by the end of the summer and permanent fixes scheduled for the end of November.

RELATED: Life under the tracks: Urban Garden Center in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood has created a vibrant space and a tight-knit community in the unlikeliest place.

The MTA Board's Metro-North Committee approved $3.3 million for the repairs in Manhattan, lohud.com reports. The temporary fixes will also remove speed restrictions that were put in place during fixes immediately after the fire.

Meanwhile, Urban Garden Center is also adjusting to its situation in the wake of the fire, with makeshift office and workshop space making up for the destroyed back office area.

"It hasn’t affected our business," says owner Dimitri Gatanas. "The part of the business that burnt, while it was an integral part of our business in the sense that it was a back office, it hasn’t stopped us from being able to continue our retailing."

As part of the FDNY's investigation into the fire in May, propane fuel tanks stored by Urban Garden Center near the track supports warranted additional inquiry and possible fines, as a separate safety issue from the fire itself.

"It’s a separate matter that is being adjudicated and wasn’t part of the fire, and they’re looking into it to see whether or not any laws were broken, but as far as we’re concerned, everything is cool," Gatanas says. "We have no problem continuing the business, and we’re doing our best."

In the wake of the fire, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, which Urban Garden Center leases its property from, has adjusted the terms of the retailer's lease. Representatives of the NYC EDC could not immediately be reached for comment on the new lease terms, but Gatanas says the lease makes it difficult for him to invest in his property, as the lease can be terminated with little foresight.

"There’s very little reason why they can’t kick me out," Gatanas says. "Any investment we make, we stand to lose. We have to be as bare-bones and as careful as we can to run a business."

In the meantime, Gatanas says his business also must work around the ongoing repairs to the Metro-North tracks, which are being done on a portion of his property. Through all of these developments, however, Gatanas stresses that Urban Garden Center is continuing in its mission of service as professionally as possible.

"We’re doing everything we can to operate within the law and we continue to do that," he says.

Top photo: The front of Urban Garden Center, which resides under the Metro-North Railroad tracks in New York City's Harlem neighborhood. Photographed in May 2014 by Michelle Simakis.