CINCINNATI — Located less than a thousand feet from the Ohio River, the Riverside Centre Antique Mall and its neighbors on Kellogg Avenue are no strangers to flooding.
"First, you put things up higher on blocks and hope that that's gonna do it and then when that doesn't do it, you start moving things up here," explained antique vendor Ron Schultz.
Schultz is one of several vendors who had to close for 17 days after flood waters entered the antique store.
Owner Chris Ornella said his staff had to work for days to clear the water, which he said got up to about three feet high inside the building.
“We pumped for four straight days nonstop trying to keep it out of the electric in the lower level," said Ornella.
See the difference between now and two weeks ago below:
Vendors who work on the lower level had to move their items to the second level or find storage. Ornella told us not all the items sold in the antique mall were saved.
"We filled three 30-yard dumpsters with stuff that was non-salvageable," said Ornella.
Ornella said his team had to clear the lower levels, tear out the damaged carpets and sand down the floors before vendors could move their items back in.
Through the closure, the antique mall kept its customers informed through a series of Facebook posts, with pictures and videos.
After more than two weeks, Ornella and his team opened their doors once again. The first customers were welcomed in at noon on Tuesday, April 22.
"I finished everything last night around 8 o'clock, and we are good to go," said Ornella.
Shoppers can return to shopping for vintage clothes, mid-century furniture, decades-old collectibles and more. Check the antique mall's Facebook page for all business hours.
