Back wall of Kraynick's Bike Shop collapses
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Garfield bike shop has been condemned after part of its building came crashing down Friday morning.
The back wall of Kraynick's Bike Shop on Penn Avenue in Garfield is gone. It's possibly the result of work being done on a neighboring property, and it compromised the store's foundation. There were some cleanup efforts throughout the day to get bikes and parts out of this debris to protect them.
Owner Rocky Cristobal said his first concern is his customers, as well as his three "children."
"One is nine years old," he said with a smile. "The other one is five; its name is Kraynick's Bike Shop. The other's name is Spike and he's two years old."
Part of his one child came crashing down Friday morning. The city's department of permits, licenses, and inspections was notified at 8 a.m. Since the store was closed, there were no reports of any injuries.
"It's a big hiccup in the meantime," former store owner and current volunteer Jerry Kraynick said.
He owned the business for decades before selling it to Cristobal about four and a half years ago. He said the neighboring property was doing work and went under their foundation.
"Contractor made a mistake, which happens," Kraynick said. "We're doing the best we can."
The shop has been closed since December because of the mishap. Cristobal has been working with customers to address their needs. He said he hopes to get a temporary location to work this summer.
"A lot of people depend on their bicycles," Cristobal said. "They depend on them to get to work or for exercise."
According to Allegheny County records, the next-door property belongs to Jason Demarchi.
His work was permitted but ordered to stop after undermining the bike shop's foundation. Permits were filed to fix the situation. All that was needed was a contractor.
"It's in motion right now," Kraynick said. "So everything is good. To get to the endgame, it's going to take a lot."
The store is insured and will have help with any fixes. Even on this gray and rainy day, Cristobal still found a way to smile about it all.
"For everything bad that's happening around you try to look for the positive," Cristobal told KDKA. "That helps me get through everything."
He added that he hopes to get permits soon so he can start repairs.
According to court records, Demarchi faces two summary offenses in connection with this.
He has a court case on May 26. He was not available for comment.