Stephen Montoya
The ground floor of the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel is still wrapped in plywood, a reminder of the explosion that shook downtown Fort Worth on Jan. 8.
The ripple effect from the explosion blew out windows and rattled businesses for blocks in every direction from the blast zone. A reported 21 people were injured in the explosion, which authorities believe was caused by a gas leak.
For several nearby businesses the explosion left them without the ability to conduct business.
For six months, businesses such as Cowtown Segway Tours and the La’Creamian ice cream parlor, which thrive on local foot traffic, had to try and conduct business on a closed street. On their front doorsteps laid the remains of an unexpected blast that left many businesses wondering if they would ever be whole again.
Until Thursday. City officials and local businesses celebrated the reopening of Eighth Street and uninhibited commercial access with a party, the “Unblocked Party.”
The “Unblocked Party” kicked off at noon, with the first 100 La’Creamian customers receiving a free ice cream courtesy of the Sandman Fort Worth Signature Hotel.
Balloons lined the sidewalks as attendees took Segway rides on the newly opened street now bustling with activity.
“No one wanted to walk down our street because that fence was back up here against this sidewalk,” said Donnie Vouklizas, owner of Cowtown Segway Tours. “It looked like a dark alley. It affected our business greatly.”
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In the aftermath of the blast, the city of Fort Worth offered business owners a grant to help offset losses as investigators combed through rubble trying to piece together what caused the explosion.
City crews, meanwhile, worked to clear Eighth Street.
“[The city] was very responsive to us,” Vouklizas said. “I mean, I cannot tell you enough great things about the city of Fort Worth and how they helped us. They listened to us weekly.”
On the day of the explosion, Vouklizas said he stayed home because it was raining. “If it hadn’t been raining, I would’ve been right here, out front in the blast area.”
After hearing the news about the explosion, Vouklizas said he tried getting to Eighth Street to check on his business. However, given the heavy presence of first responders, he couldn’t see what shape his storefront was in for 24 hours.
“We showed fire crews our business card and they let us come in … just check on our business to make sure it was OK,” he said. “Once the explosion happened, we saw our business drop off 50% to 60% of what it normally is for six months.”
Brian Perkins Jr., owner of Barber’s Bookstore on the corner of Throckmorton and Eighth streets said he also missed the explosion.
“I missed the explosion by about 30 minutes,” he said before joking: “As the Russians say, ‘God protects children and fools.’”
This soon-to-be century old bookstore was able to weather the aftermath of the blast better than most businesses because of its online sales portal. But foot traffic was definitely down, Perkins said.
“Three days after the explosion I did come in, and I remember it was about freezing,” he said.
Unlike Cowtown Segway Tours, which didn’t sustain any structural damage, Barber’s Bookstore had one window blown out. Three days after the explosion, Perkins said he boarded up the exposed window while observing the Atmos Energy crew picking up pieces of the brick and debris trying to put them back together like a reverse puzzle.
“They eventually came to the conclusion that the explosion blew up, fortunately for us, instead of blowing out,” Perkins said.
For now, it seems the businesses on this section of Eighth Street are back from its six-month ordeal.
“We're excited just to see the street open again,” said Vouklizas. “I cannot tell you how it feels to see cars parked out front of the business again.”
