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The impact of Tropical Storm Irene will leave a lasting impression on the Granville business community; however each of the stores closed by the storm has vowed to return better than before.
At Zappone’s Chrysler Jeep Dodge ram Matt Zappone said Friday the dealership was making progress towards their Oct. 1 opening date. “Everything will be open, not just sales, but service too,” he said. Monday, his father Jim echoed those sentiments. “We’re here and we’re working, getting ready (to open),” Jim Zappone said.
Representatives of McDonald’s and the Slate Valley Museum also said their facilities would re-open, although not until October.
Matt Zappone said the crew had been working hard since the flood and they felt they finally turned the corner from clean up to rebuilding.
When faced with the damage from the flood waters that put several feet of water up and over the inventory and inundated the building, Zappone said they’re using the damage as an opportunity to change a few minor things.
Customers returning to the showroom will immediately notice the higher ceilings and the rearranged, larger floor area.
“We just thought we could make it a little more convenient for customers,” he said. A door will be added to the showroom floor as well to make displaying more new cars easier for the staff.
Signs of the damage from the flooding are beginning to fade from the Zappone’s landscape. In the back of the shop as some workers repaint the new walls of the parts room, mechanic Mike Czeladyn went through his tool box, cleaning and drying tools that survived and discarding whatever was ruined. “It was about up to here,” Czeladyn said holding a hand against his rollaway toolbox more than two feet off the floor of the garage. “That’s Mother Nature, you’ve just got to clean up and keep going,” he said.
As for the inventory, the remaining cars will be removed from the lot by Monday, bound for the crusher, and new inventory is waiting for the facility to reopen.
“We’ve got 50 (vehicles) waiting in Selkirk already,” Zappone said. Matt Zappone said every one of the Zappone’s team had been working to reopen the dealership by the Oct. 1 deadline.
“This is kind of like home to us. We all probably spend more time here than we do at home so we’ve all just come together to get this done,” he said.
“They’re the reason we’re on schedule,” Zappone said indicating staff members busy cleaning.
Jim Zappone said Monday things looked pretty good for the planned opening date, adding the only thing that might delay and opening would be waiting for materials.
Up Route 22 at the Granville McDonald’s, workers were busy making interior repairs to the store, which a representative said would certainly be opening, although it may not be soon enough for those really craving nuggets or a burger.
Although various rumors have been circulating claiming everything from another company taking over the site to the building having to be torn down, nothing could be further from the truth, the representative said. “We’re going to reopen, but it could be the end of October,” she said.
The interior wall boards damaged by water had already been removed, along with the inventory and the dining room tables and chairs as well.
Currently workers were completing removal of the cooking equipment, all of which will have to be replaced. “It’s all been ordered, now it’s just a matter of waiting,” the representative said.
“I can’t wait until we’re finally open,” she said.
The Slate Valley Museum took just a bit longer than expected to bounce back from damage sustained from Tropical Storm Irene, but in just a few short weeks the facility plans to host visitors.
The museum will begin receiving visitors Oct. 4 museum board president Molly Celani said, with a grand reopening scheduled to coincide with First Friday, Oct. 7.
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