(Host) More heavy rains over the weekend compounded clean up efforts for some downtown Rutland businesses that were flooded last month.
But as VPR’s Nina Keck reports, many retailers complain that even if they weren’t hurt by flood waters again, they’ve been hit hard by the perception that downtown Rutland is closed.
(Keck) Several popular restaurants and the Asa Bloomer State office building are still closed in Rutland. Close to 170 state employees and another 70 people who work in the building have had to work elsewhere the last few weeks. Local merchants say that’s cut way down on foot traffic in Rutland. Steve Eddy owns the Book King on Merchants Row.
(Eddy) "We’ve had quite a loss in business because the other businesses that received damage were not open and as a result of that it had a considerable effect on our business."
(Keck) Next door, Christine Tattersall, who owns Tattersall’s Clothing Emporium, says she too has seen a big drop in business. That’s on top of losing about $21,000 worth of merchandise. But she says her shop, like many others, has remained open.
(Tattersall) "I think the word needs to get out there very much that the downtown is open for business . . . business are open and they are suffering very much even though they did not suffer from the water – because everybody believes that everybody is closed and that is not the case."
(Keck) Clean up efforts are ongoing at several downtown restaurants and offices. State officials say if all goes as planned employees should be able to return to work at the Asa Bloomer Building July 7th. Mike Luce is a water technician for G.W. Savage. That’s the company that’s been overseeing clean up efforts. He says the recent rain and muggy weather haven’t slowed them down.
(Luce) "Because what we do is we actually close up – we seal the building up – the area that’s affected and create our own drying environment. So we’re able to control the relative humidity and the temperature so that we can dry things out and move the process along."
(Keck) For Steve Eddy of the Book King, it won’t be soon enough. Despite the difficulties of the past few weeks, he says the success of Rutland’s Friday Night Live outdoor celebrations.
(Eddy) "The turn out has been tremendous. This past Friday night we did more business than we have any other previous Friday night live. And I think the reason for that is that people really wanted to support the community."
(Keck) That’s the good news. The bad news – more rain is in the forecast.
For VPR News, I’m Nina Keck in Rutland.