Antioch Walmart reopens

Walmart officials announced their Antioch store reopened Monday morning, nearly four days after it had been shuttered because of the Blizzard of 2011.

The store, at 475 E. Route 173, was closed starting Wednesday, Feb. 2, due to the amount of heavy snow that had accumulated on the roof during nearly two days of blizzard conditions in Lake County and across the region.

Officials said the store reopened to the public Saturday about 5 p.m. after a certified building engineer signed off on the safety of building.

“The safety and security of our associates is our top priority. As a result, whenever a major snowstorm occurs, regular measurements are taken by a given store and submitted to our facilities maintenance group,” said Steve Restivo, Walmart director of community affairs. “In the case of the Antioch store, the snow accumulation was determined to be above load limits and, therefore, the store was closed immediately.”

Restivo said the blizzard caused more than 2 feet of snow to accumulate on the roof of the Antioch store.

He said a service was contracted Wednesday to remove the snow, then new tests by engineers were conducted after that work was completed. It was determined there was no structural damage to the store, Restivo added.

Antioch Village Administrator James Keim said state-licensed engineers were called in to sign off on the structure before the Antioch Walmart was allowed to reopen.

“In this situation, we relied on state-certified structural engineers to determine if a building is safe,” Keim said. “As long as the engineers are satisfied, so are we.”

Walmart officials said they are back to business as usual.

“We are now open and appreciate the community’s support and patience as we worked through this unique set of circumstances,” Restivo said.