It has been four months since a fire ripped through central Whitehall, nearly destroying numerous businesses and putting a dent in the city's commerce.

While some who had been shuttered by the blaze have decided to relocate, questions remain as to what will happen with the damaged properties that make up a large part of the city's commercial district.

The final decision to raze or rebuild rests with the private owners of each building.

Steve Warmoth owns four of those buildings, and calls to him were not returned by press time. However, members of the Jefferson Local Development Corp. were told last month that he was considering tearing them down, according to minutes from the corporation's last meeting.

"After talking with some of the owners, it appears the owners are planning to have contractors level the area," read the minutes.

Tona Doney, who owns the Mint Bar, has not decided what she will do with her property. It is completely destroyed, but Doney said she hoped that something, possibly the façade, could be saved.

She hoped to reopen at the same space, but the time it took insurance companies and state agencies to sort out the mess made her realize she would need to relocate.

She bought the building just two blocks west of the burn site at 1 E. Legion St. It isn't the ideal spot, she said. The new location is farther away from two other bars that often shuffled customers between them.

"There aren't really that many storefronts available in Whitehall," Doney said. "I felt that this was really my only option."

Doney did think twice about reopening the business, especially after what she felt was a pretty thin check from her insurance company.

But she could not dally.

Her valuable liquor license would lapse if it wasn't put to use soon, and customers were urging her to reopen her doors -- somewhere.

Deb Dulaney has reopened Cottage Floral and Gift Shop at 105 First St. W. That relocation was planned long before the fire, but she was just a week too late getting her inventory moved.

She admitted that for a brief moment she considered quitting and just getting a regular job. But she's gotten out of the flower business before to work in the financial industry and said being a florist is just too rewarding.

Other businesses have relocated as well, including D&D Tax Service and Whitehall Drug. The Whitehall Drug building, which did not receive much fire damage, had more water damage to its foundation than first thought, and the ability to move back into there is in doubt, according to owners.

Some businesses received money to help with the moving bills from the Whitehall Relief Fund. Camilla "Millie" Baycroft, owner of Mountain View Real Estate, has helped oversee those funds, and said that residents donated $42,000.

Tara Mastel, manager of the Jefferson Local Development Corp., said she hopes that money is put to good use and gets the businesses up and running again.

Mastel said the damaged block is critically important to the town's business corridor. Whichever route the owners decide to take, her organization will push to revive that part of the city and help Whitehall bounce back, she said.

"It's very important to the city," Mastel said. "We hope the owners do everything they can to get it back in operation."