Midtown Krispy Kreme to be demolished after second fire, city permits show

ATLANTA — A beloved city of Atlanta landmark could soon be torn down after being the victim of two fires, at least one of which was arson.

City records show that demolition permits for the Krispy Kreme location on Ponce de Leon Ave. were filed last Friday.

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The permits show that the single-building demolition should have no impacts on surrounding land or trees, and has an approximate cost of $50,000.

The business has been closed since February when the store was intentionally set on fire along the exterior of the building but quickly spread inside, according to fire investigators. Everything but a handful of doughnuts was burned. Two employees working at the time escaped safely.

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Earlier this month, the building caught fire for the second time in less than six months. No one was injured in that fire, and the cause has not yet been announced.

The store has been at the site for more than 60 years. After Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral in April 1968, the Krispy Kreme fed mourners by donating 150 dozen donuts to Atlanta churches.

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The building is owned by Shaquille O’Neal, who promised to rebuild and reopen the doughnut shop after the February fire.

There is no word on when the proposed demolition could begin.

Neighbors wonder if someone planned second midtown Krispy Kreme fire Neighbors around the iconic Krispy Kreme on Ponce de Leon Ave. are wondering if a second fire is less than six months is also an act of arson.

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