Ave Maria business faces constant flooding due to rain

This small business in Ave Maria is trying to stay afloat.

Years of hard work were ruined by a leaky roof that destroyed merchandise and covered the floor in water.

The owner of the business is Jorge Arroyo, and he is tired of dealing with this constant issue at his location, Mercato At Ave.

“Imagine, like having to explain every week with the heavy rain, the same situation,” said Arroyo.

Norma Martinez, a customer of Arroyo’s, shares his frustration.

“They depend on the landlord, and they’ve been patient, and they’ve tried. Again, it’s sad. It’s frustrating, to say the least. It’s disappointing that it’s been a year and a half, and we’re still in square one,” Martinez shared.

The issue has been ongoing for a while now, and inside Arroyo’s business are multiple other smaller businesses whose booths take the brunt of the damage.

“It was overwhelming, the water just seeped in and just kept coming in. And then there was nothing we could do about it. Just trying to stick things off the floor so that wouldn’t get flooded,” said Tom O’Shea, an entrepreneur at the Mercato At Ave.

“They are paying for the space. So you can imagine that you got the responsibility, the stress, the anxiety to have to deal with this situation over and over and over,” said Arroyo.

With every leak, Arroyo sends an email to their landlord, but a year and a half later the problem continues to pour in.

Arroyo said that they have sent letters to the administration, but still, the problem is not taken seriously.

“I feel that the first time there was no like, taking it seriously, so for us, it is a bad situation. We’re gonna lose money, like, and it’s gonna affect the credibility of the business,” he said.

With the problem getting worse each time it rains, Arroyo hopes this last time serves as a wake-up call for the higher-ups to have this problem fixed.