Business center hit with flooding again

Just three weeks after several businesses in the strip center at 1530 Main St. were flooded when rain came through the roof, it happened again, but this time to other retail establishments in the center.

“The damages are going to be lost sales. We may not recover,” said Cari Arthur, owner of A Fan’s Dream. She has temporarily relocated to a nearby vacant suite, at 1516 Main St., off the cul de sac by the Post Office. A Fan’s Dream is in Suite 107B.

The two long buildings in the strip center at the corner of Main and 16th streets have been in the process of being re-roofed. When a brief rainstorm hit June 30, Ramona Julian Academy of Dance (RJAD) and Fitness Xpress for Women in the north-facing building were flooded and sustained so much damage they had to find temporary locations until their suites could be repaired. RJAD is temporarily at 709 Main St. and Fitness Xpress is in Suite 4 at 1925 Main St.

On Saturday, July 18, another day of rain, Arthur entered her shop at 7:30 in the morning and noticed the ceiling was dripping. She then went into her back room and found 2 inches of water.

Arthur describes A Fan’s Dream as a place where youths, age 10 and older, come to hang out and play card and board games, Wii, Xbox, and video games. She even has a projector and screen to show movies, and tables to play games.

All of that was in the back of her shop where much was ruined including the projector, TVs, Xbox and all of her tables. She estimates her damages at $12,000 to $16,000 and said her insurance will cover it, but in the meantime, she is losing sales.

“This is really going to devastate us,” said Arthur. “All we want is to make sure our bills our paid.”

Her profits come from the sales of comic books, games, figurines, apparel and snacks, and from game tournament fees.

As she sat at one of the card tables on loan to her, Arthur noted with gratefulness that many of her customers have helped her move items to her temporary spot. Arthur also said she and other business owners in the center had not been told that some of the roof would be removed that weekend. The roof was later covered with plastic tarps that Saturday to prevent further flooding, she said.

The buildings in the center are owned by the Neva Hartjen Trust, said Tim Monetta, who owns GMBC Real Estate, the property management company for the center. Monetta said his company hired a general contractor who hired a roofing subcontractor. They were supposed to notify him and the tenants of the roofing schedule, he said.

“We were under the impression that the second roof had not been started,” he said. Monetta said the property management company is doing its best to get the businesses up and running again.

Other businesses that had flood damage were Verizon, Ramona Smoke Shop and Hobson’s Choice.