County preps for Main Street reopening Thursday
County officials originally planned to open
Access to the historic district has been closed to the public, with limited access to residents and business and property owners as construction is underway to repair damaged storefronts, buildings, sidewalks and roadways. Police presence remained at each end of
County officials said 27 businesses will open, including The Wine Bin, Judge's Bench,
Drivers will be able to access more than 450 parking spaces, except in Lot B next to the
"We are certainly ahead of where people thought we would be right now," Kittleman said Wednesday, standing just outside the Phoenix Emporium. "Amazingly, 10 weeks later, people are rebuilding and some are reopening. You just think about how wonderful these people have been and they've worked so hard."
Kittleman was joined by County Councilman
Weinstein said that by opening before the holidays,
"We're ahead of the holiday season, which is the lifeblood of all these businesses," Weinstein said. "When you saw what happened after the flood with cars sticking out of the ground and fronts of buildings completely gone, to imagine that just a couple of months later we would be reopening is a testament to Ryan and his team."
Most of these areas have been patched up, Miller said Wednesday, and additional drainage systems have been installed at the lower end of the street.
"Not all those costs will be recoverable, but about 75 percent of our eligible costs will be," Miller said. "[
Outside the
The boutique has since relocated below La Palapa at the northern end of
"They offered [the space] to me for the next four months," Sanger said. "This opportunity just came up and it was a seize-the-moment opportunity."
Sanger said her re-opened store will be called Main Street Rising.
Sanger's
"I was one of the ones who stood up and asked for more time," she said about the delayed opening of
A few doors down,
"I'm not sure how it's going to work with pedestrians given how much work is still being done not only to the streets, but also to the shops," Holliday said. "I just hope that people who come down here will be very mindful of what they're doing. I wouldn't want anybody to get hurt."
A lot of work still needs to be done, Holliday said, and not many places will be open between La Palapa and the Antique Depot at the northern and southern entrances to
"There's not much for [visitors] to do," she said.
Kittleman said he believes visitors will make sure the businesses of
"I think these folks are going to have a hard time, hopefully, batting people away [who are] coming in," Kittleman said. "There will be just so many people coming in to help them."
Kittleman said some sidewalks between
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