‘They didn’t say anything to us’: Sidewalk dig disrupts Richmond shop

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A Richmond gift shop known for its taxidermy, crystals, skulls and oddities is speaking out, after the owner said a large construction hole appeared right outside the front door.

"I couldn't believe they just left that there," said Rest in Pieces owner Justin Torone. "Even though you put cones around it, there's still a giant hole there someone could fall into. They didn't say anything to us."

Torone said he arrived to work on Friday, Aug. 1 at the shop on South Laurel Street, to find a gaping hole in the sidewalk directly in front of his store. He said he received no advance notice from the city about the work.

"Everything was all busted up," he said. "The sewer hole was completely left wide open."

Torone shared video of the scene on Instagram. He said the hole was covered more by Saturday night, but that it made the weekend a bit more difficult to stay open.

“We should have gotten any sort of notice. And it was only after I posted that video on Instagram and it got popular that someone from the city came in to be like, ‘Oh yeah, they're doing this',” he said.

In a statement, Richmond’s Department of Public Works said its part of the "ADA ramp project."

"Thanks for contacting us for more information about the ADA ramp project on South Laurel Street. The paving crew completed their portion of the work, and upgrades are underway to bring the area into ADA compliance with updated ramps, as required for major street improvement projects. While intermittent weather delays have impacted timelines, the team anticipates that the work will be completed by the end of the day tomorrow, August 5.

We understand the concerns raised and continue to do our best to minimize disruptions." -- Richmond's Department of Public Works

Torone said while he was aware of the broader ADA project, he wasn’t given specific notice about when the work near his storefront would begin, or what it would look like.

"If someone hadn't seen that post and was in a wheelchair and came in to shop this weekend, there isn't really anything we could have done," he said. "They talk about how much they love their small businesses, yet do things like this to us."

Torone said Rest in Pieces stayed open through the weekend, but interruptions like these take a toll.

"We already had to close for a week because of the water crisis or snowstorms or all this other stuff, like we need to be open to make money here," he said.