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Springfield, IL (WAND) – A water main break under Monroe Street sent water down city streets and into the basement of a business at the corner of Fifth and Main, 23 hours before the business was set to hold its grand opening.
The business, The Bus Stop, had been preparing since April for an Aug. 28 opening day.
On Aug. 27, co-owner Zac Lowman was inside doing final preps when he noticed water outside the building.
“As I was carrying the first table, I got assembled in the back of the building and I realized there was water running down Fifth Street,” Lowman said. “I walked through the back of the building, looked out the window and realized what was going on out there.”
Lowman then went to check the basement, where he found water filling the space.
“There’s a lot of inventory down there,” said Lowman. “All the electrical panels are down there. So without the downstairs, we don’t have electricity.”
The team canceled the grand opening as they surveyed the damage. Insurance told Lowman the company would not assist because the water came from outside the building.
Alderwoman Lakeisha Purchase connected with the Bus Stop to host a fundraiser to support the business. That will be held from 5-10 p.m. Friday.
Lowman says they will use the money raised to repurchase damaged equipment and figure out whether they need to move to a new location.
“I don’t know what the odds are on something like this happening 23 hours before you open, but it’s definitely been a punch in the gut, to say the least,” Lowman said. “We’re basically starting from scratch all over.”