There are signs of life at North Clinton Plaza. Just a little more than two weeks after fire destroyed part of the shopping center, some tenants are getting ready to reopen while another has set up shop in a new location.

A pile of rubble is about all that remains of the Family Dollar Store where a four-alarm fire originated on November 23, displacing every business in the plaza.

Jimmy Kithnos has operated a fish market at the north end of the plaza for the last 20 years. He is looking to reopen next week.

Kithnos said he is never experienced anything as devastating as the fire.

"Tough, tough, tough, very tough,” Kithnos said. “That's my life. Little by little; the water's back today. I hope next week it will be ready to go, next Wednesday."

Dick Trovato owns the plaza along with an auto business there that reopened on Tuesday. Trovato said if all goes as planned, four or five businesses should be back in operation by next week.

"Actually it's even going a little faster than I really thought,” Trovato said. “As you can see we're back. Auto Finishers Supply, we're in there, electricity, water. We had a clean up crew come in; everything's cleaned up in there, looking good. By the end of the week we're going to have gas and electric at the end of the plaza, they already have water."

Trovato said Visions Beauty Salon will open next week. Hot Kicks clothing store has yet to clean up and sort through inventory, but a sign says it will be reopening in two weeks.

A vacant store front is expected to be occupied by a displaced computer repair shop and a barber. What's left of the Family Dollar location will be demolished and rebuilt.

“Hopefully by springtime we'll have all the tenants back in. That includes Family Dollar,” Trovato said. “Family Dollar Store's even looking to expand and take on a little more space which will be good for us also."

Trovato says he is hopeful a restaurant will open where Salvatore's Pizzeria was located. Salvatore's reopened Wednesday around the corner in the former Garage Door location on East Ridge Road. Salvatore's says it signed a long-term lease and will probably remain at its new site.