River Drive business feel the flood

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By Jennifer DeWitt and Doug Schorpp | Tuesday, April 29, 2008 |

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With most of Davenport’s River Drive closed to traffic, it was access — rather than floodwaters — that frustrated many west-end Davenport businesses Monday.

Employees and customers alike had to overcome a maze of detours and closed roads to find alternate routes to their destinations.

Richelle Smith-Brecht, executive vice president of S.J. Smith Co., located at 3707 W. River Drive, said many obstacles faced her employees and customers, but employees still were making it in and trucks were delivering orders.

“They’ve closed River Drive. There’s construction going on, and there’s a barricade that says the road is closed. So employees and customers can get to us, but they probably don’t know it,” she said, adding that the welding safety and industrial supply distributor gets “a fair amount of walk-in traffic.”

The flood itself is not threatening the company’s office, which doubles as its headquarters and houses one of its 12 retail stores. “Our worst fear is that the sewers will back up, but they never have,” she said.

However, Smith-Brecht said they also are curious to see how the water will flow as a result of changes made at neighboring properties. “They’re pumping water out of the Garden Addition, and Sears (Manufacturing) now has a berm; our only concern is that we might see a difference in where the water goes.”

But Jim Sears, chief executive officer of Sears Manufacturing, doubts the berm will even get tested this time around. “We are dry, and I don’t think anything is going to threaten this part of South Concord and River Drive.”

The seat manufacturer now is protected by an earthen berm that runs on the south side of its property, along River Drive. Sears said the city helped fund the berm 2½ years ago — after the 2001 flood — with tax increment financing. “I don’t even think it’s going to get touched.”

Like his neighbors, Sears said reaching his business was a little dicey, particularly getting through downtown, but all his employees were at work. “They just had to be a little more patient.” He admitted, “I made the mistake driving through downtown (Monday) and I will not tomorrow.”

Beverley McCaughey is extremely grateful for the work from employees of Kraft Foods Oscar Mayer plant, Davenport.

McCaughey is the owner of Rockin’ Ham Bar & Grille at 1334 W. 2nd St., located across the street from Oscar Mayer, which is experiencing flooding problems to the south of its building on River Drive. To the north, on 2nd Street, the company has constructed a temporary floodwall at Marquette Street, shutting down a portion of 2nd Street in front of Rockin’ Ham.

Cathy Pernu, corporate spokeswoman for Kraft, said in addition to the floodwall, “we have also built dikes in other areas that need protection, and we feel we’re going to be OK with current projections for the flood crest. But we’re monitoring the situation closely, and we are prepared to take additional measures if necessary. We continue business as usual, in terms of shipping and receiving, as well as employees coming and going.”

“All Oscar Mayer people have been working so hard,” McCaughey said. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be open.”

She said Oscar Mayer began efforts Friday, and employees have been working on the project ever since. McCaughey said she has been making coffee for them throughout the weekend and into Monday.

The only way to get to her business is through an alley and portions of the Oscar Mayer parking lot on the north side of 2nd Street. But she said business has remained steady, although she has received many calls from people wondering if she is open.

While other businesses along River Drive are experiencing flooding and have built up walls to protect them, other portions of the city’s western business area seem to be faring somewhat better.

That’s the case for Jack’s Brake & Alignment at Schmidt Road and River Drive. Owner Terry Weipert said they were doing well thanks to an earthen berm that he had built there after the 2001 flood left 2 feet of water in his business.

“We are kind of in a hole here. But any way, we will be in good shape,” he said.

The berm is 4.5 to 5 feet high and surrounds most of the business, except for the two entrances. The entrance closest to River Drive also has sandbags to help keep out floodwaters. “I’m going to build up another two feet of sandbags” just in case of added rain.