After it was heavily damaged by fire earlier this year, the Mike’s Deli-Mart building on Edmonds Way has remained closed, prompting readers to ask what’s next for the establishment.

Four adults and three dogs living in an apartment above the building escaped the two-alarm blaze that was reported at 3:50 a.m. on March 13. The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office determined that the fire started in a mechanical area at the back of the building, but neither the county nor the private insurance company investigator could come up with an exact cause, said Snohomish County Fire District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes.

Investigators estimated the damage to the building, located in the unincorporated area of Esperance, at $120,000, Hynes said.

Asked whether he intends to reopen, Mike’s Deli-Mart owner Mike Luke said he isn’t ready to share his plans. “Currently I’m going to decline comment but intend to give you a real response probably in early December,” Luke said via email.