Rebuild or relocate? Here’s what Ellicott City businesses are planning after second flood in two years
The town, founded in 1772, was devastated by flash flooding in 2016, but many business owners operated under a common goal of restoring their businesses and the town to glory. Now, the prospect of whether to do so again -- and so soon -- is uncertain.
Two years ago,
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But this time feels different, she said. While some business owners suffered only minor damage and others have already committed to rebuilding, a few, including Shuey, have said they would feel unsafe staying in the historic town. "I've been shocked at the number of people who are commenting to me, 'We want you back in
Slowly, signs of life are returning to historic
Update: Some Ellicott City businesses -- plus a parking lot and parts of
Here is a collection, in no particular order, of business owners' thoughts about the prospect of rebuilding
Three days after the second massive flood in less than two years devastated Old Ellicott City, the historic mill town's businesses will rely again on a mix of insurance, disaster aid, loans and community support if they choose to reopen.
That's the big if. While some businesses already have launched...
The restaurant has served hundreds of people in the last two weeks, Marriner said. Whether the restaurant is able to draw crowds now, he added, isn't the priority.
"We need to show that the town is alive. We've been open to feed the town, now we need to start to draw some folks to the town," he said.
The pub had recently been closing early, at
"You can do last call if you want," the manager recalled telling the bartender.
After three days, the store had served four customers. Kable said the store is using the slow time to do programming and retail evaluation.
"You kind of have to make the best of the situation," she said. "No matter if we have customers or not, we're grateful we can provide the services [to our employees]."
The Trolley Stop: Spared much of the damage from Sunday's storm, according to a Facebook post, the Trolley Shop remains open and is now accepting donations like toiletries and cleaning supplies for displaced neighbors. Patrons can enter via
The Judge's Bench: The eatery took in more water and mud than in the 2016 storm and is currently closed, according to their Facebook page. However, owner
A friend has set up a
All Time Toys: The shop's owners announced they will not reopen in Old Ellicott City but will seek a new location nearby. "After much soul searching and doing the math, it just isn't going to line up for us," they said in a Facebook post, adding that they had accumulated heavy debts during the most recent reconstruction and were concerned for the safety of their employees if another flood struck.
In an email, AlGhatrif also described two initiatives to support fellow
AlGhatrif said the fundraiser has raised
A post about the fundraiser from the cafe's Facebook page reads: "With God's grace and with the resilient structure and operations we have established rebuilding from last flood, Syriana's losses this time are dwarfed by the devastation to our community. We see this as a responsibility to pay back those who embraced us and help them rise up again."
Complete coverage of the 2018 Ellicott City flood and its aftermath. »
Salon Marielle: Manager
"After sixteen of our eighteen years in business on
Rawlings said the salon relocated to Victoria and
While Rawlings did not rule out a return to
"With changing weather patterns, past and continued development and not enough flood mitigation or commitment to do the major flood prevention construction that is necessary, anything within recent paths of water would not be an option for us," she said. "We love our town, our community but displacing our staff and clients repeatedly isn't a successful business model."
"Time to rebuild, that's it," Tersiguel said. "It's no question for us. We rebuilt the building last time, so that helped. ... Our plan is to get at it as soon as the county lets us in."
A
Reyes Jewelry Exchange: Owner
"It's an eight-month season," he said, and the peak tourist time is just beginning. "The sun shines, you make hay. Now is when you need to be doing it.
"We just have to see if the numbers work."
Sowers said the calculation for business owners will come down to how quickly the county can fix infrastructure and reopen access to the historic district.
"You can get up and get going," he said, "but you need people to be able to get in."
On another day, a cold front headed toward the
But when it arrived Sunday over
Discoveries:
She remembered all the work that went in to fighting to reopen less than two years ago; she's not as sure she's ready to do it again.
Tennant said she'll wait to assess the damage, but with the knowledge of how much work it would take to reopen. "It's a matter of dollars and cents," she said. "There's a difference between hardship and losing everything."
"I don't know where I'm going to go from here. I have a healthy dose of realism. You have to take a hard objective look at things when you're in the middle of turmoil. I'd love to come back, but I need to be realistic on what I can expect in terms of money spent on mitigation efforts."
Tennant, like other shop owners, has set up a
Store owner
Residents, merchants and officials in
Old
Primitive Beginnings,
He said not everyone will return, which will hurt those who do.
"It's not just about us. It's about the whole town, because we need each other," Braswell said. "If you don't have your coffee shops and restaurants, why are you going to come down to shop?"
Braswell, who said he was four weeks from opening new shop
"Here we are. We have every intention of fixing it again, just like we did last time," he said. "But it's a question of the town itself. ... Until they get the infrastructure in the town reopened, it doesn't make much sense reopening."
Winter went to his restaurant Monday morning hoping to pump out the basement, but officials weren't letting anyone inside. The longer it takes before he can start cleanup, he said, the more problems he'll have. In 2016, he had to hire a special crew to remove rancid food.
"Last time it was a week before we could pump the water out, and that was not good," Winter said. "It completely changed the complexion of the cleanup."
Winter said Monday was "a day of frustration."
"To come back from a flood is an accomplishment," he said. "To come back from two? A lot harder."
There is a GoFundMe page for Ellicott Mills Brewing here.
The one item that did make it -again- was 'Mighty Pig.' The small, ceramic pig figurine sat atop a shelf during both floods and managed to survive. Julia said she left it in the shop for now. "He's looking over us."
"Don't give up on this little town. People who are here are strong and are fighters, we need people to still believe in us.
"Of course, we are waiting to hear what the plans are to ensure safety, as we wouldn't put ourselves or our students and families in danger and take on that responsibility," she said in a
Private lessons, small group classes and barre classes are being offered out of a private home studio in
A GoFundMe page has been created as well.
A
"I can not do this again for the third time," she said in a
A GoFundMe page has been created to support Brannigan's business.
Southwest Connection: Owner
"Depending on the status & condition of
McDermott urged customers to visit the store's Facebook page for updates and potential pop-up locations. She also said a GoFundMe page has been created.
Sweet
Beideman's store had been located in the Caplan's department store building when it was a total loss in the 2016 flood. She reopened her business up the hill afterward, and she says the contents of her current store are mostly intact.
Tea on the Tiber: A lengthy post from Tea on the Tiber's Facebook page narrated the difficulty of dealing with the immediate effects of the flood.
In addition to a new profile picture reading "Keep calm and rebuild
"You tell me, what do I say to the
[be] blends On Main: Owner
"Our store was hit very hard so only time will tell how quickly we can get up our retail space up and running again," she said in a Facebook message.
A post from the store's Facebook page said, "Fortunately, we manufacture our products in a different location, so we are still up and running. We still have our online store, and we are still at the Sykesville Farmer's Market."
Early one mid-May morning, heavy rain awoke
On the screen, a network of live video feeds revealed
Taylor's Collective:
"We were spared from major damage and had only mud seepage in our basement and through our front doors," Ryland said in an email.
"The salon was spared from severe damage," according to a post from the salon's Facebook page.
Sweet Cascades Chocolatier: According to a post from the store's Facebook page, Rooster and Hen, at
Phoenix Emporium: The owner of Phoenix Emporium,
"The damage is catastrophic and we are still processing our next steps," he wrote in the page description.
A
McCaslin also said "it is uncertain if we will be able to return."
The boutique is selling bracelets that spell out "ECStrong" in Morse code via its online store. McCaslin said
A GoFundMe page has been created for the boutique.
It was all the Sangers could salvage in the...
Main Street Yoga: Owner
Jeeter declined to comment on whether her business would return to its space on
Main Street Oriental Rugs: Owner
"We are taking things a day at a time right now, but do plan to return to Old EC," Bagha wrote.
La Palapa: A GoFundMe page was created to support the staff of
Included in the page's description: "We will rebuild and we will be back!"
Made on Main EC: According to a
Curious Minds Toys: A post from the store's Facebook page says, "We will rebuild and we will reopen." A GoFundMe page has been created as well.
Primitive Beginnings: A post from the store's Facebook page said, "We hope to help rebuild our community again, in a more effective and proactive way than before." A GoFundMe page has been created to support the store's recovery.
The Wine Bin: A post from The Wine Bin's Facebook page described an "emotionally challenging day."
"I'm not sure The Bin will survive this but we have the Will so hopefully we will find our Way!"
A Journey from Junk and Junk Girl: A post from the boutique's Facebook page says the "hope remains to recover and rebuild, but only time will tell." A GoFundMe page has been created as well.
Portalli's: A GoFundMe page was created to "help us provide for our employees that will be displaced from work indefinitely and to help us rebuild again."
Summer of Love: A GoFundMe page has been created, though it's unclear whether the store will reopen.
Miss Fit: A GoFundMe page has been created, though it's unclear whether the store will reopen.
EC Pops: A GoFundMe page has been created, though it's unclear whether the store will reopen.
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