Owner of restaurant under water hopeful of reopening

Published 10:58 am Wednesday, September 28, 2016

: The former Godfather's Pizza building is surrounded by floodwater in 2016. The Albert Lea City Council on Monday approved the purchase of the former Godfather's Pizza building, which will be turned into a storm water retention pond out of an effort to reduce flooding in the area. Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

An Albert Lea business owner is confident his business will be able to open in the wake of flooding caused by torrential rain last week.

“That’s our plan,” said Albert Lea Godfather’s Pizza owner Brad Price Tuesday.

The area around Godfather’s at 509 E. Main St. is heavily flooded. The portion of East Main Street in front of the building was closed Tuesday, and water is still about 2 inches high on the building, Price said.

Though flooding outside is extensive, Price said some surface water and dirty spots caused by flooding are inside of the building.

“It’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be in there,” he said, noting reopening the restaurant will depend on when flood waters recede.

Local officials have taken steps to assist business owners in flood cleanup.

The Freeborn County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency Thursday to allow the county to ask the state of Minnesota for public infrastructure funds for storm cleanup.

The state Homeland Security office sent a formal request to the governor’s office Tuesday requesting an executive disaster order.

Price, who has owned the Godfather’s building since 1985, said last week’s flooding was unique since he began owning the building.

“I’ve never seen it flood this bad,” he said.

County officials said Tuesday that water levels continued to drop on Fountain Lake. Albert Lea Lake water levels decreased 4 inches at the dam, 2.1 inches at Frank Hall Park and 2.6 inches along East Main Street.

Albert Lea Lake is still about 5 feet higher than normal elevation, the press release stated.