SOUTHINGTON -- Wednesday morning, equipment moved into Southington as demolition began at the Tops Marketplace.
The Southington favorite was deemed a loss when it went up in flames last month. The community was rocked by the tragedy.
For John Salerno Jr., the store was his second home.
“My dad bought this store when I was born when I was 4 years old…so I grew up here,” says Salerno.
He and his family are doing everything in their power to rebuild and remain optimistic.
“We want to come back with a fresh new look on Top Market,” says Salerno.
His family admits it’s not going to be easy because money is tight and they are still in talks with their insurance company. In the meantime, they are thankful for the overwhelming emotional and financial support from the community.
“We want people to see that we are coming back. And we are going to come back stronger than we have before,” says Salerno.
The owner tells FOX 61 it will take $3.5 million to rebuild, and right now they are $500,000 from reaching their goal.