- It's been more than six months since tornadoes wrecked Railroad Square.
- Damaged businesses have either shut down, relocated or re-opened since then.
- Watch now to hear what businesses there want the community to know as they work to get back on their feet.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Tornadoes decimated Railroad Square more than six months ago. While many may think it put a complete stop to business here, several businesses are open and have been working hard since May 10th to keep it that way. I'm Kenya Cardonne at Railroad Square, speaking with a few of them about why, now more than ever, they need the community to shop local.
Keith Pogge, Owner of North Flora Collective - "It's difficult when your livelihood is kind of taken away in a swift morning."
May 10th— A swift morning that the neighbors and businesses of Railroad Square will never forget.
Businesses like North Flora Collective.
Pogge - "We had an outside area and it destroyed most of that, and we had part of our roof ripped off."
Keith Pogge says the tornadoes destroyed his plant business, leaving him and his wife in limbo for months before they would manage a relocation within the square.
Now, they're looking forward to their re-opening on the 23rd. But, he says there's been a bit of misconception ever since the tornadoes painted the art district 'ruined.'
Pogge - "There's been a lot of businesses kind of leaving the square and a lot of people don't realize that there are still businesses here."
Rob McDole, Owner of Flippin' Great Pinball - "I mean, even last month, we were hearing people like, 'Oh, I thought everything was gone!' And you know obviously, they get here and it's not."
Flippin' Great Pinball right around the corner has been up and running since the tornadoes ripped its roof off.
McDole - "There was a literal waterfall coming through the ceiling in the back."
Owner Rob McDole says the damage here has seared into his memory and the community's for that matter— but that in itself is playing a role in slower business at the art district.
McDole - "Obviously, we had some buildings destroyed. Those have been demoed, but the majority of the squares here, the businesses are open and ready for customers."
They're hoping this holiday season, neighbors will help boost revenue by spending their money locally.
McDole - "We have, of course, Black Friday, which is all the corporate event stuff and then Small Business Saturday after that."
While some spots are planning those specials to draw in some much-needed foot traffic, there's a bigger task at hand for others.
Pogge - "We haven't really planned that far ahead for that. We just want to be open. It's hard enough to just be open nowadays. So we just want to have the doors open and have people coming into the Square and hanging out."
Small Business Saturday is on November 30th.
In Railroad Square, Kenya Cardonne ABC 27
