A Year Ago Today Copia Was Destroyed By An Arsonist
I was up early the morning of the 29th but not as early as residents of buildings near Copia in the 11xx block of Washington Ave. Click here to read my post from a year ago.
The butler did it! Close, it was the ex-busboy.
From the St Louis Post-Dispatch on September 13, 2008:
A disgruntled former busboy admitted Friday that he started the three-alarm fire at a downtown St. Louis wine bar and restaurant late last year that caused more than $2.6 million in damage.
Gilbert Summers, 26, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to a single arson charge in federal court in St. Louis and now faces a minimum of five years in prison.
He was fired from Copia Urban Winery in mid- to late 2007, after being spotted trying to cash another employee’s check, court documents show. He then applied unsuccessfully for unemployment compensation.
Summers tried to get his revenge on Dec. 29. He waited until 3 a.m., when he thought everyone was gone, then set three fires in patio, banquet and storage areas at Copia, 1122 Washington Avenue, and the Vanguard Lofts building next door, officials said.
“I did not intend to hurt nobody,” Summers told U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey on Friday.
A year later the restaurant is still closed. However, the back of the building has been gutted in preparation for the rebuilding.
The fire was tragic, arson always is. Thankfully nobody got hurt. But I have to say this block of Washington Ave has been more pleasant without this one restaurant consuming all the on-street parking with their valets. When they re-open hopefully they can work with Flamingo Bowl owner Joe Edwards on a shared valet service on Friday & Saturday nights. Although if Joe Edwards has seen this 2006 video with me and Copia’s owner, Eyad Tammas, he may not feel much like cooperating.
I welcome the return of Copia in 2009. I just want to make sure they play nice with their neighboring businesses.
Helluva time to reopen an urban winery.
Nice video. I wonder why his busboy was disgruntled?
“I pay tax dollars. That’s what I do for the city.” I would have delivered a left jab to that arrogant prick.
Man, this has been a long year.
I am still shocked to learn that ET or Bill Bruce aren’t responsible for that fire. This urban winery is nothing but a front to disguise the money laundering going on behind closed doors.
Meh. The one time I ate there (a week after that video came up), the only thing worse than the food I got was the service.
I just saw the video of the confrontation with Eyad. Maybe Eyad will be a little less defensive over his claim to the parking spots along Washington Avenue for valet services now that he has several other businesses within the block. Eyad is opening up the Washington Avenue Market just to the east of Copia. He is also opening a diner at the corner of Washington and Tucker. He also is a part-owner of BT Pizza on that block. Its a shame that parking has pretty much been eliminated on this block. Without parking along the street, it makes Washington Avenue seem more like a “through-fare for cars” rather than a road that invites pedestrian activity along its sidewalks. Limiting Washington Avenue to one lane with street parking makes Washington Avenue more pedestrian friendly.
Steve, what would you thoughts be on eliminating car traffic along Washington? I know you are a proponent of a streetcar system. How cool would it be to have a pedestrian/transit mall down Washington Avenue a la 16th Street in Denver?
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