Fire Damages Former NY Preschool Building

Syracuse, N.Y. — A building formerly housing the Gingerbread House Preschool and Child Care Center on the North Side caught fire Tuesday, Syracuse fire officials said.

A worker at Grant Middle School across the street called 911 at 9:19 a.m. to report smoke coming from the abandoned building at 2500 Grant Blvd, said Deputy Chief John Kane, a spokesperson for the Syracuse Fire Department.

A fire was found in the gymnasium of the three-story building, Kane said.

The smoke was so thick that there was no visibility in the building, Kane said. Firefighters opened a hatch on the roof and used fans to let the the smoke out of the building, Kane said.

Grant Boulevard was closed at Kirkpatrick Street.

It took about 25 minutes to put out the fire, he said.

No one was in the building at the time and no one was injured, he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, he said.

The former 50,000-square-foot school is part of the former Franciscan Academy and Maria Regina College campus. The campus has been mostly vacant since the college closed in August of 1988 due to declining enrollment and financial difficulties.

Developer Mark Congel bought the closed campus in 2015, and there are redevelopment plans in the works for its many buildings.

Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee, or [email protected].

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