DELAND, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
Construction crews will be out at the corner of West New York and Florida avenues in DeLand all week to assess and repair a huge problem believed to be caused by test wells. In fact, part of Florida Ave. is shut down and that's creating some major traffic headaches.
Businesses here are feeling the effects too. Johnny Kadriu owns Tony's Pizza. In the past three months, he said the building, which he owns, has shifted. He said he started noticing cracks in the foundation and in the windows.
Kadriu contacted his insurance company and the city. As it turns out, the sand under the road and building has shifted and city engineers believe it could be from wells put under ground last year to monitor gasoline leakage from a nearby gas station. That, combined with recent rains, and you have a recipe for a sinkhole or two.
So, crews are digging up Florida avenue, and they plan to pump cement under the foundation of Kadriu's building to stabilize it. In the meantime, the tables along the walls of his restaurant are tilting and the front door is getting harder to open and close.
The city is working with the Department of Environmental Protection to determine the exact cause. Tony's Pizza has been at this same location for 10 years.
