Thursday, June 17, 1999
Elder-Beerman reopening delayed
Roof collapse cause, repair costs unknown
BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN — Repairs are continuing at the Elder-Beerman store at Towne Mall, and customers likely will have to find other places to buy their Father's Day presents.
As of late Wednesday, damage estimates from a partial roof collapse Saturday had not been determined, said Ginny Focke, director of public relations and event marketing with Elder-Beerman corporate offices in Dayton.
“The engineers are still assessing the situation, and the insurance people have been on the scene (Tuesday and Wednesday) and they're still trying to survey the damages,” Mrs. Focke said.
Workers have constructed a temporary wall inside the store to enclose the damaged area so they can work even when the store reopens, she said.
“Hopefully we can open the store in a very short time,” Mrs. Focke said. “I can't say if it might be as soon as this weekend. But I doubt it.”
The store has been closed since about 3 p.m. Saturday, when a roof section collapsed, sending water cascading into the store and throughout the corridor of the 22-year-old mall, at Ohio 122 near Interstate 75. Other stores suffered varying degrees of water damage, but all were reopened by Monday afternoon.
It is still unknown why the estimated 6,000-square-foot section of the roof fell. Initial reports indicated a thunderstorm was to blame.
“We're still trying to determine if it was the weight of the water,” Mrs. Focke said.
The store has 104,000 square feet of selling space, and early estimates were that about half the store was damaged. Mrs. Focke said she could not confirm that.
The interior doors are still covered with brown paper. Signs on exterior doors tell patrons that “Due to circumstances beyond our control, Elder-Beerman Middletown will be temporarily closed.”
Mrs. Focke said she has no information on potential sales lost, but said, “Yes, it is an important week for us prior to Father's Day weekend.”
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