After fire, neighbors rally around owner of West Philly club

FOR ALMOST five years, Algernong Allen III worked hard to transform Elena's Soul Lounge into a place that embraced the changing Cedar Park community in West Philadelphia.

The diversity was clear in the eclectic mix of artists who performed at the Baltimore Avenue club, ranging from jazz to punk rock to hip-hop.

The community has returned that support in the weeks since a fire ripped through the three-story building on Christmas Eve, destroying the business. Neighbors and friends have posted supportive messages on the bar's Facebook page and community message boards.

"Al treated everybody like family," said Isaac Hamm, chief executive and founder of IM3 Media, an event-marketing-and-promotion company that hosted a monthly open-microphone showcase at Elena's for two years. "I know it's definitely going to be missed, not just by me and the people who partied on Wednesdays, but by a lot of people. It was a staple."

Hamm hosted an event to help raise money for Allen and the employees less than a week after the fire because he said that the club felt like home.

When Cedar Park resident Brian Connelly moved to the community about eight years ago, he said that the once-popular nightspot had fallen off. He credited Allen with turning it around by featuring local up-and-coming artists and organizing jazz events in the park.

"He rebuilt it and made it a wonderful, wonderful place," said Connelly, standing across the street from the lounge, which has been reduced to a pile of bricks in the middle of the block. "We loved having that as a part of our community."

Connelly and others said that they would love for Elena's to be rebuilt, although Allen said it is premature to discuss rebuilding.

"Yes, it has hit me that Elena's is gone, although it's still sinking in because there's so much tied to it," said Allen, 39, who purchased the business in May 2008 when it was Leroy's Showcase Lounge. He renamed it Elena's as a tribute to his mother.

"Not only was it my occupation and my passion and something that I brought to life, but it also defined me as a member of this community in being able to provide that atmosphere," he said.

A nail salon and café that abutted Elena's have been shuttered - at least temporarily - due to damage from the demolition. The Department of Licenses & Inspections posted a notice on the café, deeming it structurally unsafe due to a collapsed roof, which can be seen through the storefront. Plywood covers the busted-out front windows of the salon.

"The nail salon they might have to tear down, which sucks," said Dave Koch, co-owner of Marvelous Records, which moved to the block in July. "[The café], that place is kind of central to people going and eating ... Everybody loved going there."

It's unclear how quickly Allen or the neighboring businesses will recover, although he chose to look on the bright side.

"It's a tragedy, it's a sense of loss, but it could be so much worse," he said. "And as long as we keep that in perspective we'll be all right."