PITTSBURGH — A long-running bike shop must shut its doors entirely for the time being, after its backside fully collapsed amid Friday morning’s wet weather.
PHOTOS: Wall collapses in rear of Pittsburgh bicycle shop
“It’s my life,” said Rocky Cristobal, owner of Kraynick’s Bike Shop on Penn Avenue in Garfield. “I have my family and then my bike shop.”
Around 6 a.m. Friday, the building’s rear gave way. Behind the business now lies a pile of rubble, bike parts atop concrete. No one was hurt.
“It all finally came down ... it wasn’t completely unexpected. It’s like anything in life, you just have to deal with it,” said Jerry Kraynick, the shop’s former owner, who came to the scene in support of Cristobal on Friday.
According to a city spokesperson, the collapse was the result of “unsafe” construction work that the owner of the next-door business, Artisan, was having done.
City officials say he had previously been issued a stop-work order, and within the last few months, the back of Kraynick’s was condemned.Cristobal had been permitted to operate out of the front of the building. But as of Friday, the entire structure had to be condemned and the utilities were shut off.
Artisan’s owner had no comment on Friday. Court records show he’s due in court later this month.
“The contractor made a mistake, which happens, so we’re doing the best we can and hopefully we’ll be alright here,” said Kraynick.
Kraynick’s father opened the beloved bike shop in the 1940s, operating in several neighborhoods, including Squirrel Hill and the Hill District. In the 1970s, the shop moved into its current space in Garfield. The Kraynicks always sought to run a “community shop” and provided several services for free.
Cristobal has sought to carry that legacy on.
He was a volunteer at the shop before finally taking over from Kraynick in the last five years.
“He was one of my best volunteers and finally decided he wanted to own the place.”
The bike business is a labor of love for Cristobal.
“We provide access to a lot of peoples’ cycling, transportation,” he said. “I’ll be OK, because we have insurance. But the people who really need us the most, they’ll have problems, because a lot of people depend on their bicycles to get to work or for exercise ... we want to be there for them as much as they are here for us.”
Cristobal said he hopes to be back up and running by the summer, if not in the Garfield location, perhaps in a new spot. He’s trying to keep a smile.
“I learned this from Jerry: for everything bad that’s happening around you, always try to look for the positive ... that helps me get through everything. It’s all about attitude. That’s one thing you can control.”
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