An update on Belleville businesses affected by water main break as road work continues
Monday’s water main break on East Main Street in downtown Belleville caused most of the businesses on the 100 block to close their doors.
Water service was restored Monday, and as of Tuesday, most of the businesses that I surveyed between High and Jackson streets were open and ready to welcome customers, though the block remained closed to vehicle traffic as excavation and road restoration work continued.
Here are details of what I found when I reached out to businesses:
Bennie Parr said he was able to shut off all water at Bennie’s Pizza Pub before there could be any contamination from the water main break.
He had plenty of bottled water and beverages on hand so the business could still operate, even with the water shut off.
The water was turned back on around 7-8 p.m. Monday, said Parr.
The popular pizza place was open as usual on Monday, but Parr said there was a noticeable dip in business.
No damage was sustained to the property, said Parr, who acknowledged they still have one area to check.
He said his buildings are on a slight slope that helped keep the water out.
Parr is grateful to the city and the utility companies for how quickly they were able to handle the situation.
“They did a great job,” said Parr, adding that the street is currently being repaired.
Bennie’s Pizza Pub is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday-Saturday.
For updates and info, check out facebook.com/benniespizzapub.
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Brandon McGraw, owner of Lexi’s Bar, Food & Fun at 126 E. Main St., said there was no damage to the building and no water in the basement.
The water did, however, come all the way up to the doors, which are about eight inches above the sidewalk, said McGraw.
Lexi’s BFF is not under a boil order, according to McGraw, and is set to open at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Come Wednesday, everything will be business as usual, said McGraw.
Lexi’s BFF is open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more info, call 618-416-1000 or visit the Facebook page.
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Local Lucy’s is currently open for business at 122 E. Main St.
Owner Nancy Schulte said they were lucky. The water also came up to the door but didn’t enter the building.
Schulte said the store is currently closed on Mondays, but she got a call about the water main break and that she needed to get to the shop.
Once she saw that the shop was free of water, she was relieved.
She also said that the fire department went from building to building to check basements.
Holiday hours this week at Local Lucy’s are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Check out the Local Lucy’s Facebook page for updates and other information.
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Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant is also open and operating at its regular hours.
Owner Javier Guiterrez said that they did have some water in the basement and that the floor drains helped keep the water level down.
Water was restored to the restaurant at 7 p.m. Monday.
Margarita’s is located at 108 E. A St. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
For more info, call 618-222-7150 or visit margaritasbelleville.com.
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Sugar High Bakery and Café was able to remain open during the main break.
Owner Amber Weiss said that they were very fortunate. Their water supply comes from another water line, so they were able to stay open.
Sugar High is located at 100 E. Main St. Hours are 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (or later, depending on the crowd) Tuesday-Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
For more info, call 618-418-4040 or check out the Facebook page.
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Other businesses that are open on downtown Belleville’s 100 block include:
I Had That/Collector’s Corner, 116 E. Main St.
Circa Boutique and Gifts, 128 E. Main St.
Blanquart Jewelers, 111 E. Main St.
Integrity Tattoos, 120 E. Main St.
Keil’s Clock Shop, 109 E. Main St.
Abe’s Gourmet Popcorn, 101 E. Main St.
Monday’s water main break caused Illinois American Water to close East Main Street between High and Charles streets. The majority of the water damage occurred on the north side of East Main Street near the corner of North Jackson Street.
Green Root Gallery at 125 E. Main St. remains closed.
As of Tuesday morning, owner Tom Wodarczyk said there’s still water in the basement up past his knees, and the building’s electric is still off.
A ribbon cutting ceremony for the gallery scheduled for Thursday is postponed.
Wodarczyk said that he isn’t sure how long clean up and repairs will take but it would be at least a couple of weeks.
This story was originally published December 5, 2023 at 1:53 PM.
