News Grim For Seffner Bob Evans; Loose Soil Deep Underground

Three weeks after it closed its doors for geotechnical testing, a yellow ribbon and caution tape surround the Bob Evans in Seffner, which remains closed since the June 9 discovery of cracks in the wall and floor.

Yellow plastic tied in the shape of a bow, reminiscent of a yellow ribbon, was seen hanging on a locked gate at the Bob Evans in Seffner on Sunday, June 30, marking the third seek since the restaurant has been closed since workers discovered cracks in the walls and floor.

Someone attached to the center of the yellow tribute a Bob Evans nameplate, with "Unit #111" scrawled next to a hand-drawn heart.

The fate of this Bob Evans unit hangs in the balance, with the June 26 report from corporate communications that employees have been working temporarily at other Bob Evans locations in the Tampa Bay area while officials determine what to do next with the building at 11720 Tampa Gateway Blvd.

"We’ve now offered these employees permanent transfer to these locations, or an offer to help them secure permanent employment elsewhere," said Margaret Standing, director of corporate communications for Bob Evans Farms. "We now turn our attention to determining the best course of action for this site."

Standing said such steps have been deemed necessary with the results of geotechnical testing that "did in fact show loose soil at 40-60 feet beneath the north and northwest side of the" Seffner restaurant.

A second opinion on the analysis has reportedly confirmed the finding.

"Our experts are confident that this is the cause of the structural damage to the carryout area of the restaurant," Standing said. "We are now evaluating options for remediating the site and rebuilding the restaurant at this location, or remediating and selling the property."

Fire offiicals were the first on the scene at Bob Evans on June 9, where they found "cracks in the walls and in the floor, about five feet into the entrance," according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesperson Nacole Revette.

Employees there to open the restaurant for business reported the cracks.

"The cracks on the outside walls are also mimicked on the outside of the building," Revelle said in a June 9 interview. "You can see slanting toward that outer wall."

Revette noted the retention pond to the north of the parking lot and the possibility that heavy tropical rains at the time could have contributed to the cracks.

At the time she said reports of possible sinkhole activity were premature. As Revelle noted: "We're not saying sinkhole right now, there's structural integrity that has been compromised and that's all we know."