PORT TOWNSEND — Aldrich’s Market, an anchor business in Port Townsend’s uptown neighborhood, plans to partially reopen today after a month of floor repairs.
A sign placed in the front door announced the market’s reopening after it was closed for four weeks for repairs to the store’s flooring.
The store, owned by Milt Fukuda, will carry a reduced line of merchandise for about five more weeks, a relative of the owner said.
The produce section will be fully stocked, but the beer and soda coolers and the meat section will be closed, said the family member, who asked not to be identified.
Parts of the store will remain sectioned off until work to replace the damaged floor is completed.
The damage was identified when workmen discovered that the store’s freezer had not been properly installed above a runoff water pan, which caused the wood below the concrete floor to rot, Fukuda said in February.
The repair includes moving the freezer, replacing the rotten wood and installing a drainage system that will prevent future dry rot, the owner said.
The market first opened in 1895 and had operated continuously until Aug. 4, 2003, when the historical building burned down.
Nearly two years later, it reopened in the same location in a new building constructed by David Hamilton and Jonathon Ryweck, operating as Ham and Rye LLC.
The Fukudas took over the market in 2007. The store employs 15 people in addition to Fukuda, his wife, Renee, and son, Scott.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
