Kete Horowhenua

Date	18 March 2012
Location	158 Oxford Street, Levin

Can you remember what the building was like? - Luckily in 2009, Google StreetView took these pictures of the Tender Centre:

Tender Centre, 158 Oxford Street, Levin c2009

The STUFF website reported:

"The owner of a landmark Levin second-hand store that went up in flames is adamant the business will rise again from the ashes.

Only the exterior walls remain of Mac's Cove Tender Centre in Oxford St after a fire broke out about 6am on Sunday and tens of thousand of dollars worth of stock was destroyed.

The large store was built about 1928. Kevin Macmillan established the second-hand business there 14 years ago and says, with five staff, he is determined to rebuild on the site and get the business up and running again.

"We had a ton of stuff, new and second-hand, but we are insured. I believe when the going gets tough, the tough get going. It is another challenge I had not counted on for 2012," Mr Macmillan said.

He would continue his furniture removal business in the meantime.

The cause of the fire was yet to be confirmed but it looked like it had started in the rear of the building where power boxes were located, he said.

To celebrate the Rugby World Cup he had painted the building black and adorned it with silver ferns.

"It is a good business, the staff have been there for years. That is the hardest part. All things being equal, we will get up and running again," he said.

Nine fire engines were called to the fire after reports of smoke coming from the back of the building.

The building was engulfed in flames by the time emergency services arrived.

Levin fire officer Lindsay Walker said 99 per cent of the building was damaged, the roof had caved in and nothing was salvageable from the store.

Firefighters took more than an hour to extinguish the fire."

According to the Manawatu Standard on 19 March 2012:

"The owner of a Levin second-hand store that went up in flames is adamant the business will rise again.

Only the exterior walls remain of Mac's Cove Tender Centre in Oxford St after a fire broke out about 6am on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of dollars worth of stock was destroyed. The building was built about 1928.

Kevin Macmillan established the second-hand business in the large building 14 years ago.

He said, with five staff, he was determined to rebuild on the site and get the business under way.

''We had a ton of stuff, new and second-hand, but we are insured,'' Mr Macmillan said.

''It is another challenge I had not counted on for 2012,'' he said.

However, Mr Macmillan would continue to run his furniture removal business.

The cause of the fire had yet to be confirmed, but it appeared it had started in the rear of the building where power boxes were sited, he said.

To celebrate the Rugby World Cup last year, Mr Macmillan had painted the large building black and adorned it with silver ferns.

''It is a good business, the staff have been there for years that is the hardest part,'' he said. ''All things being equal, we will get up and running again.''

Nine fire engines were called to the blaze on Sunday after reports of smoke coming from the rear of the building.

The building was engulfed in flames by the time emergency services arrived.

Levin fire officer Lindsay Walker said 99 per cent of the building was damaged, the roof had caved in and nothing was salvageable from the store.

It took firefighters more than an hour to extinguish the fire.

Detective Sergeant San Paroli said police would return to the Oxford St site today with an electrical engineer and other experts for further examination."

Community Contributed

Fire destroys Mac's Cove Tender Centre, March 2012

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