Ludlow, Vermont - September 14, 2011
Irene gutted two business complexes in Ludlow.
"Everything has to be redone to make this back into offices and a bar-- it's history," said Roy Davis, the caretaker at the Mill.
Shaw's supermarket is now a 3,000-square-foot tent outside the original complex.
"People's United bank is operating out of a trailer and the Rite Aid is operating only in the front of the store while they clean up and renovate the inside," said Frank Heald, the town manager in Ludlow.
Hilarie Tolstoi's business, Scoops, avoided the storm completely, but that doesn't mean she's out of the woods.
"It's scary to sign a lease when you can't afford to pay it and what happens then, I have no security with that," Tolstoi said.
The owners of the Lamere Square business complex just raised their rates. As a result, the North Fork Bagel company and the Hair One Salon are closing their doors.
"Half of the square is going to be vacant and that's not really desirable. I don't know how quickly they're going to get rented. In this economy people aren't just opening new businesses," Tolstoi said.
WCAX News three reached out to the David H. Mitchell partnership that owns the complex. While they declined an interview, they did release a statement saying, "The partnership does not discuss its business relationships with tenants to outside parties."
Heald says unfortunately it's out of his hands and that ultimately it shouldn't hurt the town of Ludlow.
"American business ebbs and flows and I think one just has to be cognizant of that," Heald said.
"If it's gone it's going to be a really bad thing for this town," said Eric Bolt, a Lamere Complex customer.
Bolt grew up going to the Lamere Complex. When he heard some businesses were closing he started a Facebook page to bolster community support. Now, he's organizing a gathering at the Complex Sunday.
"Trying to get everybody down here to support the local businesses, maybe get them some extra money and talk about ways to support our local businesses," Bolt said.
In a town where some businesses are hoping to come back from the storm and others are working to stay afloat.
Susie Steimle - WCAX News
