The property severely damaged from a water main break on Feb. 13 is likely to be saved, according to City officials.
The City issued two notices of ‘intent to condemn’ on the flooded building at 50th and Penn but the City is not condemning the building. The property owners are quickly making progress to make fixes to the building, according to Jess Olstad with the City of Minneapolis.
“The building owner has engaged a very reputable restoration company in St. Paul to manage this process and work,” Ward 13 Councilmember Linea Palmisano said in a message to her constituents on Wednesday.
Business owners impacted by the water main break are currently going through the City’s claim process and have been denied insurance claims. The water main break on Feb. 13 along 50th Street at Penn Avenue caused damage to businesses and homes in the surrounding area.
“There is no insurance coverage for any of us,” Al Theisen with Theisen Renovations, Inc. said. “Because it was a City event, none of our insurances are covering it. We have no recourse.”
Palmisano has told impacted businesses that it’s possible the City will not award claim money, despite the significant damage.
“So we’re basically hung out to dry on the whole thing,” Theisen said.
The City of Minneapolis said it has found no obvious cause for the water main break. The pipe was installed in 1922 and pipes in the area were inspected in 2007. No concerns were noted at that time, according to a statement by the City of Minneapolis.
During the water main break on Feb. 13, it took four hours for the water to be turned off which included accessing a water main shut off under pavement on 50th Street. Initial calls to the emergency services came in at 3:30 a.m. and water was being turned off after 7:30 a.m.
“It was like jackhammering through diamond when that pavement gets that cold,” Theisen said. “I think that event happened a lot longer than it needed to.”
Theisen’s business lost thousands of dollars in equipment in the business’ showroom at 5005 Penn Ave. S. but said the businesses along 50th Street–TERZO, Paperback Exchange Bookstore, and Sparrow Cafe– fared worse than his.
Employee and business Go Fund Me links
Paperback Exchange’s Go Fund Me
“The water came in so hard and fast through the building that it actually shot equipment up our stairway into our showroom,” Theisen said. The foundation under Sparrow Cafe also caved in due to the force of the water.
The Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association and Palmisano have made public calls to support Lake Harriet Pizza, Lake Harriet Florist, and Scuba Center, all businesses that suffered losses during the water main break.
