In a few swift, smoky moments, flames accomplished what has eluded Fairfax County leaders for years — the destruction of perhaps the most reviled building in the county.
Well, almost.
A fire last week gutted much of the former Chi Chi’s at Springfield Plaza, which some hope will expedite tearing down the building.
“Let the record show I didn’t set Chi Chi’s on fire — although plenty of times I thought about it,” quipped Supervisor Jeff McKay, D-Lee District.
For years, officials have railed against the shuttered restaurant, citing it as the poster child of blight run amok in the county.
McKay was already pursuing the addition of the building to the county’s blight list, with a hearing scheduled for later this month. Covered with graffiti and overgrown greenery, the property is a deterrent to development in Springfield, McKay said.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department spokesman Willie Bailey said 60 firefighters responded to the two-hour fire. Firefighters doused the flames from outside the building because of fear it would collapse, using limited water on the snow-lined roof.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Bailey said. He said the roof partially collapsed, in addition to a large crack forming in the rear of the building.
Though McKay acknowledged he was pleased with the outcome, he called the deployment of firefighters just another in a string of issues with the former Mexican restaurant.
“How infuriating is it that we have to send a whole [group] of them out there with all of this snow?” he asked.
Owners of the building could not be reached for comment. Plans are to use the property for a hotel, according to county officials.
Regardless, the building’s days appear numbered.
“One way or another in the next couple of months, this building will get torn down,” McKay said.
