Businesses on 5th Avenue in Naples trying to bounce back from Ian

Reporter: Lauren Leslie Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
FILE: 5th Ave in Naples. (Credit: Wikipedia Commons/FILE)
FILE: 5th Ave in Naples. (Credit: Wikipedia Commons/FILE)

Businesses hurt by Hurricane Ian face plenty of obstacles before they can open their doors to customers. If 5th Avenue in Naples looks like it’s back up and running, that’s because restaurants are open, but the majority of shops are still closed.

“We’re very busy… extremely busy,” Daniel Secu said about S.D. Flooring LLC.

Well, they’re very busy trying to get businesses on 5th Ave back up and running. Some business owners have decided they are taking matters into their own hands.

“The reality is is myself in the co-owner we’re rolling up our sleeves and we’re coming in and he tore out drywall,” Ann Rasmussen, the owner of Health & Wealth said.

Rasmussen said two days after Ian, mold was growing.

“We tore out all the walls up to 2 feet high tore out all the floors you can see that there are tradespeople in here they put in the drywall the flooring is getting put in today I couldn’t find anyone to come paint so Life as a business owner I saw patients all day today and here I am painting,” Rasmussen said.

Secu saw flood water-damaged floors all up and down 5th Ave.

“Laminate floor, vinyl floor next door, tile floor in the next store so we’re trying to help everybody out,” Secu said.

Rasmussen was busy painting on Monday afternoon, but she told WINK News a lot of the stores in that area are owned by locals. She hopes once everyone reopens, the community will be back to support them.

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