The Milwaukee Post

6 • Milwaukee County Post • April 4, 2014 By RICH ROVITO Special to The Post SOUTH MILWAUKEE – Papa Luigi's II, a popular South Milwaukee restaurant and enter- tainment establishment closed since early this year due to exten- sive water damage, is expected to be back in business by early sum- mer. The facility at 1919 12th Ave., which features a restaurant, bowl- ing alley, bar, banquet hall and gymnasium, has been closed since Jan. 9 when it sustained nearly $1 million in damage after a pipe in the building's sprinkler system burst. Architectural plans are being drafted in preparation for the long-awaited reconstruction and renovation to the damaged por- tions of the building. "It's been baby steps with the insurance company, that's why it has been taking so long," owner Sal Purpora said. Purpora is hopeful that Papa Luigi's II, which has operated in South Milwaukee for nine years, will reopen by mid-to-late June. The building's kitchen, ban- quet hall and an adjoining bar that operates as Sal's Lounge all sustained damage, as did a hall- way and a gymnasium on the site. It has been determined that a pipe supplying the sprinkler system burst in a section above the gym's ceiling, Purpora said. Insurance claims adjusters attributed the problem to the extended stretch of bitterly cold weather earlier this year, accord- ing to Purpora. An initial estimate set the dam- age at $200,000 to $300,000 but has been revised to be as high as $900,000, Purpora said. "It could be a million," he said. Insurance is covering the vast majority of the costs tied to get- ting the facility up and running again. "I miss it really bad. I miss the customers," Purpora said. Employees of the South Milwaukee facility have been shifted to Papa Luigi's in Cudahy, which has been in business for 32 years, as warranted, he said. During the temporary shut- down in South Milwaukee, busi- ness at the Cudahy establishment has increased by 20 to 25 percent, according to Purpora. "It's been very humbling to hear from my customers. They call me at my home and on my cellphone and have been visiting me at the Cudahy restaurant," he said. "It's a great feeling knowing that customers care about me." Purpora said he's been visiting with customers, old and new, at the Cudahy location. Purpora recounted the events of the morning of Jan. 9, when he performed a quick check on his mobile telephone of the video sur- veillance systems of both of the Papa Luigi's locations. "I checked Cudahy and every- thing was fine," Purpora said. "I checked South Milwaukee and it was raining in the hallway. It was shocking. I rushed out there and about four or five inches of water just came pouring out when I opened the door. The ceiling was falling on my head. I turned off the water in the building and it was still coming down." At that point, Purpora figured the problem had to stem from an issue with the building's sprin- kler system. "That shutoff valve is outside in a pit about four feet in. It was covered with snow," he said. He eventually called the South Milwaukee Fire Department, which successfully shut off the valve. Purpora then contacted Emergency Fire & Water Restoration LLC of St. Francis to clean up the 50,000-square-foot building. "They told me that the place was going to be shut down for a couple of months. I told them they were crazy," Purpora said. A wedding reception and sever- al parties already had been booked for Papa Luigi's II and Purpora initially was convinced he could get the facility ready in a day or two. After learning that the water damage could create mold problems if unaddressed and real- izing that the cleanup and restora- tion would take considerable time to complete, Purpora reluctantly backed off. The South Milwaukee building is structurally sound, Purpora said. He noted that some areas, including the bowling alley, didn't sustain any damage. Purpora said he and his wife, Maria, pledge to invest additional funds beyond insurance reim- bursements to remodel portions of the building to "make it better than ever." Renovations to the building will include an entirely remod- eled kitchen and banquet hall. "Everything is gutted down to the brick walls right now," Purpora said. "There will be all new electrical fixtures and a new decor package for banquet hall." The building, which dates back to 1891, is historically significant for the city, having been the first factory constructed in South Milwaukee, according to Nels Monson, an historian, author and lifelong resident of the communi- ty. The building began as a pro- duction plant for the Schutz Bros. Furniture Co., which made tables. It later served as a production plant for the Racine Fire Engine Co. and later served as a club for employees of mining equipment manufacturer Bucyrus-Erie, now Caterpillar Inc., Monson said. Purpora, who also owns S&P Equipment, a restaurant and gro- cery equipment supplier located in Cudahy, shook his head when thinking back to that January morning. "It was devastating," he said. A grand reopening celebration will take place once renovations are completed, he said. Meanwhile, updates on the status of the renovations will be posted on the Facebook page for Papa Luigi's II. Papa Luigi's II in South Milwaukee targets early summer reopening Submitted photo Papa Luigi's II owner Sal Purpora anticipates his restaurant and entertainment establishment in South Milwaukee to reopen this summer following nearly $1 mil- lion in damages after a pipe in the building's sprinkler system burst. Yoga and meditation open house Wednesday MILWAUKEE – A free open house and demonstration will introduce upcoming yoga and meditation classes at Boerner Botanical Gardens from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. this Wednesday. Instructors from Himalayan Yoga & Meditation Center will present the basics of the six-week indoor classes and answer questions after the presentation. The Botanical Gardens is located in Whitnall Park at 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners. Both classes, offered through Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens, meet Wednesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. "Yoga at The Gardens" will be offered April 23 through May 28, and "Meditation: Inner Gardening for the Soul" will be offered June 14 through July 16 (no class July 9). Participants are invited to explore the Botanical Gardens after class. Lata Massa will lead both classes. The yoga class will feature gentle beginning yoga poses in the Prana Vidya style, designed for adults of all flexibility levels. The meditation class will feature gentle stretches, breathing, progressive relax- ation, and a mantra to guide the mind to a quieting inward experience. Massa's initial training as a yoga teacher began in 1995 and included study in India. She has presented classes at workshops at the Yoga Society since 2008. For more information, contact the Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens Education Department at 525-5653 or visit www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org. Church host chicken dinner MILWAUKEE – Immaculate Conception Church, 1051 E. Russell Ave., will host a chicken dinner from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. April 12. The cost is $10 for a large four-piece din- ner and $8 for a two-piece dinner. It comes either baked or fried. Cudahy sets cleanup event CUDAHY – Cudahy is celebrating its 25th Tree City USA Award with a citywide cleanup and tree planting ceremony April 26. The free event will be held at the Cudahy Family Library, 3500 E. Library Ave. Tree seedlings and refreshments will be available to volunteers. For more information, contact Joel at puczylowski@yahoo.com or 627-8117. AREA BRIEFS

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