Six months since one of the biggest fires in Rock Island's history, Dan Banowski, the owner of Jaded Gypsy Tattoo, is finally able to start the rebuilding process.
On September 27, 2014 an overnight fire damaged eight buildings in the District of Rock Island, including severe damage to Jaded Gypsy Tattoo and the former Mississippi Café building next door. The vacant Mississippi Café partially collapsed. Businesses and apartment residents were displaced due to fire damage.
The person who started the fire, 34-year-old Jason Earl Anderson, was arrested and charged with one count of arson and one count of residential arson. He remains in the care of the Department of Human Services, as a judge deemed him unfit for trial.
Now, Banowski is working to renovate and rebuild Jaded Gypsy's new location, just two blocks away from the old tattoo parlor.
"It' no small or easy task to rebuild your life from pretty much square one," said Banowski. " It's just been mostly me, a couple of friends, and some very good clients, people willing to donate time and swing a hammer and handle some pretty heavy-duty stuff."
Looking back, Banowski said it has all been a very painful learning process.
"It was not only my place of business, it was my home as well," Banowski said. "For the longest time, just walking by the place and seeing the pile of rubble and debris, I could just take a look and see exactly where everything was supposed to be and where it had come from, and it was just sitting in rubble."
Previously located in the 200 block of 18th Street, Jade Gypsy will now be in the old Lucky Shamrock building in the 300 block of 20th Street. Banowski said he hopes to have the business up and running within the next six months.