Groves Bears on Main Street

Since reporting last Thursday that the ceiling in her Main Street store was sagging in the middle due to the weight of rooftop snow, Robin Wilch says she has been waiting to find out what the future holds for the store.

“I have been waiting for news from both the insurance company and a second structural engineer to see what will happen,” said Wilch on Tuesday of this week. “We’re in limbo just waiting to find out what’s going on. No one wants to be the one to make the decision.”

Wilch was told on Friday of last week that her building could be salvaged and that she would be able to reopen for walk-in business as early as this week. She discovered, however, on Monday that she needed to wait for the building to be examined by a second structural engineer before allowing customers into her store.

Wilch is in the process of packing the items from her store and moving them into storage or the time being. Until she can reopen, an assortment of Groves Bears items will be for sale on Ebay or via grovesbears.com.

Wilch said last Thursday was a frantic and frightening day for her and that she appreciated the efforts of all Bluffton emergency response crews and Village employees involved.

“There are many people in town that I need to thank for their help. I also really appreciate all of the downtown business owners and would like to apologize for the street being closed,” said Wilch.

The status of Groves Bears was also discussed at Monday’s regular town council meeting. Property owner Emerson Basinger attended the meeting and began the discussion of the Main Street store with a question about the status of the building and its relationship to his rental home, located next to Groves Bears. Basinger’s tenant was evacuated Thursday and remain unable to live in the home until the store is evaluated.

Village solicitor, Stephen Chamberlain, said that the village’s main concern and responsibility is the safety of the public and that while the property owners cannot be prohibited from entering the store, the public can be kept out. Bluffton police, EMS and fire chiefs all agreed that the building is unstable.

Police Chief Rick Skilliter said that a meeting scheduled for 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 23, would reveal more about the future of the building. Until then, noted Mayor Rodabaugh, there would not be enough information to make any decisions in regard to the village’s involvement with the store.  

The building that houses Groves Bears was built in 1910. Groves Bears has been occupying the space since 1994.