Scot's, a popular gay nightspot, was among the Ravenswood businesses affected by the water-main break and subsequent sinkhole that developed last week.
According to The Chicago Tribune, a 100-year-old, 3-foot-wide iron pipe burst around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 22 near the intersection of Montrose and Honore. The break then caused the pavement to collapse, creating a hole 15 feet deep and 80 feet wide.
Dan Gamboney, a manager at Scot's, located at 1829 W. Montrose, was there when the break occurred. 'At first, it just looked like a water main had burst and the street had been flooding, and the city thought it was under control; I didn't know,' he told Windy City Times. 'Then, around 1:30, it just blew. Water was everywhere. We were standing in the front window and the street just disappeared.
'Then, I heard a crash downstairs. By the time I got down to the basement, the water had come up to the top. Right now, it looks like an earthquake went off in there.'
Gamboney said he did not know how long Scot's will be closed. 'We're trying to get everything up and running; it's going to be a while. There are so many variables with the city [regarding re-opening Scot's] water, gas, electric, heat.'
Gamboney also commented on the outpouring of support shown since the bar closed. 'It's amazing to me ... the amount of people [who] have contacted us wanting to help, both within the gay community as well as the customers,' he said.