BURRILLVILLE – Months after flooding caused extensive damage to a multi-use building in downtown Pascoag, restoration is still ongoing for one local business, and the agency that had the structure built six years ago says the situation could lead to litigation.
A sprinkler pipe burst on the second floor of a building at 75-81 Pascoag Main St. on Sunday, Dec. 15, displacing tenants and effectively shutting down Bravo Brewing Company. The flood damaged the entire front section of the building including equipment used to brew beer on site, flooring, walls and product sold by the local business.
The trouble came from above the brewery, where Greenridge Downtown, a property management company working under the non-profit Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley, manages 16 apartment units. The three-story structure was built in 2019 in a project crafted by the Burrillville Redevelopment Agency as part of a larger effort to revitalize the village.
The brewery opened in fall of 2019, initially occupying one of three available commercial spaces on the first floor. Owner Chris Mishoe, a native of Maine, signed a multi-year lease for a roughly 2,000-square-foot space with a plan to bring his original craft beers to the masses.
Until recently, the plan has gone well. Just one year after opening, Bravo Brewing Company expanded into a second space, with a double taproom to keep up with demand, and then a third for more indoor seating in addition to a popular outdoor patio. From fundraisers and community gatherings, to live music and trivia nights, the brewery became a go-to spot for locals at the heart of a growing village center.
But business at the thriving brewery came to an abrupt halt in December. With damage from the flood to floors, walls and ceilings of the structure, insulation and sheetrock would have to be removed and plumbing disconnected, with the brewery fully dismantled.
In the months since the incident, a remediation company completed much of that work, with efforts to rebuild now underway.
“It is progressing nicely,” said Jim Langlois, chairman of the Burrillville Redevelopment Agency. “It was obviously a lot of water damage. The remediation company did an excellent job.”
Last week, Langlois said he could not discuss the cause of the problem due to the possibility of litigation. The insurance company, he said, is looking into the matter.
“There’s reason for concern,” Langlois said.
Langlois said the Redevelopment Agency and representatives from Greenridge have met to discuss the situation.
“We are taking the necessary steps to make sure that this never happens again,” he said.
What’s clear is it was not the first time that the sprinkler system caused issues. In fact, Langlois said the same pipe burst previously, but that time, water to the building was quickly shut down.
“The first time it was not too bad,” Langlois said. “Nothing had to be ripped out. It was a minor disruption.”
During the second incident in December, Langlois said the water ran for more than 20 minutes.
The building is owned by a condominium association known as Greenridge Associates, LP with two members: Greenridge Commons and the redevelopment agency.
For the brewery, the effort to rebuild is ongoing. While Langlois said construction should be complete by mid to late February, the business will still have to be reassembled, and Mishoe must brew fresh beer for the taps before service resumes, a process that takes time.
Langlois said that once the damage is fully repaired, he is not concerned about future problems.
“There’s no issues with the building at all,” he said.
Representatives from NeighborWorks/Greenridge did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NRI NOW will update this story if more information becomes available.
When the pipe let go the first time, the stakeholders of the building were explicitly told they would either need to better insulate the area the pipe was in or heat it.
They did neither. Take ’em to court.