'We're not totaled.' Scott's Downtown is temporarily closed. Here's why and for how long

Feb. 16—It was the Christmas gift for which Scott Dixon never asked.

On Dec. 26, the proprietor of casual fine dining restaurant Scott's Downtown received a call that the establishment's sprinkler riser alarm had been activated, suggesting one of two things: his namesake was on fire, or its pipe system was no match for the region's Yuletide cold snap.

"It took us about 18 minutes to get out of bed, get to the restaurant (and) meet the fire department as they were getting there. Water was pouring out the front of the building and down the whole facade on Main Street," Dixon said. "It was raining torrentially in the lounge and in the kitchen. It took just about four hours for it to stop."

The break occurred in the building's loft facing Main Street, Dixon said, damaging about a third of the space's antique tin ceiling, hardwood floors, bar and lounge area, and the kitchen, storage and prep area below.

"I really was in shock," he said. "I think I walked around in shock for a couple of days,"

He estimates the cost of the damages to "definitely" exceed a few hundred thousand dollars.

The space has been "almost completely gutted," Dixon said, adding he's working with the building's landlord, insurance adjusters and restoration contractors to begin the remodeling process.

Dixon hopes to reopen by Easter, but said his optimism is waning as the progress continues to stall.

"We're kind of in a holding pattern at the moment of trying to get all those pieces fall into place," Dixon said. "Unfortunately, some of that stuff is out of my hands. ... We really won't have any idea until we can get the contractor in there that's going to do the restoration to get an idea of the scope of the work and whether or not they'll be able to get the materials they're going to need to get it done."

In the interim, deposits for events clients had booked with the establishment have been returned, according to Dixon.

"I spoke with a couple today that has a rehearsal dinner with us planned for the end of April and I basically had to tell them I can't assure them of anything at this point because so much of that is out of my hands and, if I were them, I'd hope for the best and plan for the worst."

As for his staff, many are on the hunt for jobs elsewhere, while some have filed for unemployment "and continue to look for stuff with the hopes of coming back," Dixon said.

With the impending remodel, Dixon said he intends to maintain the historic integrity of the building, though some features are over 80 years old and may be difficult to replace.

"It's an antique building — we had oak and maple hardwood floors, true hardwood floors. It's the same thing with the tin ceilings — some of that's just not made anymore and we're going to have to find some materials to come close so that we don't have to replace all of it."

There is a silver lining amid the ruins, Dixon said, as the demolition poses a prime opportunity, albeit forcibly, to "freshen things up" after roughly 10 years in the space.

Upon their return, patrons can expect to find freshly painted walls and refinished flooring in the dining room and a refreshed lounge, though the overall design is aimed to be "as close to the state that it was before (the flooding) happened," Dixon said.

"It's not like wrecking a car — we're not totaled," he added. "We'll be able to put things back together."

Of his patrons, Dixon makes one request: "Bear with us, be patient. We're definitely going to need you when we come back, because we'll have a lot of making up to do."

Patrons are advised to check the restaurant's website and Facebook for updates.