FORT WORTH, Texas — The impact of the explosion earlier this year at the Sandman Hotel in Downtown Fort Worth continues to affect surrounding businesses. For entrepreneur Lisa Jackson it's been an emotional rollercoaster too.
"There was a time when I cried every day," Lisa Jackson said, "And when I say cried, I mean cried every day."
The tears came because Lisa Jackson had just opened La'Creamian ice cream across the street. On January 8th after complaints about a gas odor, an explosion at the hotel injured 21 people. The gas company distributor Atmos investigated the blast and determined that its systems were not connected to the blast.
Although it's been six months, a Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson told WFAA the explosion is still under investigation. One block of 8th Street which runs on the side of the hotel remains closed to vehicle traffic.
Although the sidewalk is back open for pedestrians, there is still an impact on foot traffic to Lisa's ice cream shop, which has been her lifelong dream after serving in the U-S Army. She credits her husband, who is a Marine Corps retiree, for helping make her dream come true. Their business had only been open for six months when the explosion happened.
"January 8th was a day I will never forget because I am a veteran, and it reminded me a lot of a war zone," Lisa Jackson said.
The property managers for the Sandman Hotel sent WFAA an update on restoration:
“We are committed to the great city of Fort Worth and to restoring the Sandman Signature Hotel on this historic site. We remain focused on our reopening efforts with the full clean-up and removal of debris throughout the building now completed. We have identified the locations that require repair or replacement and are anticipating receiving the detailed drawings this week. As a part of the fabric of the business community and a significant employer in the region, we are encouraged by the community support during this challenging time and know that we all look forward to opening our doors again as soon as we can. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.”
For Tim Ballard, who runs Segway Tours across the street from the hotel, that could mean seeing more customers sooner than later. Ballard and his staff offer guided Segway tours for families and visitors to learn about some of the city's unique history and Western culture.
Ballard and other business owners have received assistance from different Fort Worth entities like Visit Fort Worth. It's helping them survive as much as possible while they await the repairs on the hotel to reach completion.
"The worst part of this is we're not still seeing the walk-by traffic. So that's a good 25-30% of the business," Tim Ballard said.
For weeks following the explosion, no one could even walk down this part of 8th Street. So now every day for Tim and other business owners like Lisa Jackson the finished repairs on the hotel can't come soon enough.
"Just last week they pushed back the fence line," said Lisa Jackson, "The fence line was up on the sidewalk."