MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A decades-old Mooresville business is closed for good after a massive sinkhole put the property in jeopardy, town officials confirmed.
Tire Masters has been dealing with the growing problem for years and with no resolution in sight, the business is shutting down. For owner Chris Medford, Thursday was an emotional day as countless friends and customers stopped by to say their goodbyes and wish him well.
"Really sad," Nick Ramey said. "They have a big heart and they love the people around here. It is just a very sad time."
"A lot of the people who work here are my friends," Doug Turner said. "We have developed a relationship throughout the years and it's just sad to see them go through this."
Tire Masters has served the Mooresville community for 28 years, but now this giant sinkhole, that's been growing for years, is inching closer and forcing them out. For people who talked to WCNC Charlotte, that's what bothers them most.
"When you put everything you have in a business for the last 28 years and to see it being taken away from you ... " Turner said, expressing frustration with the situation.
Heavy rain caused the coal ash and metal pipe to collapse several years ago. As the hole has grown, Mooresville residents have wondered who's responsible for fixing it. Mayor Chris Carney says the responsibility for the sinkhole has unfairly been placed on the owners and finding a resolution is a top priority for the town.
"We wish it had been tackled a couple of years ago," Carney said. "It probably could have saved the business. And now we are dealing with — we have a sinkhole in the middle of our town and it's currently leaking water and it is just going to increase and it has now structurally made the building questionable."
Because of pending litigation, Medford couldn't speak on the issue. However, the community is speaking up for him and his employees.
"It just feels like no one really tried to help him," Ramey said. "That's the sad part. Here you have somebody really giving good service and we're just kind of letting him go."
Town leaders said they will look through different solutions within the next few weeks and go with what makes the most sense, protecting public interest and taking care of the business owners who took a big loss because of the sinkhole.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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