The Biscuit Company building owner S.J. “Skippy” Tuminello stands in the entrance of the restaurant and bar where 4,000 square feet of brick will have to be removed and sanitized before it can reopen as a restaurant.(Melanie Duncan Thortis The Vicksburg Post)

[8/30/03]Walls must be town down and each brick must be removed from the floor inside for a downtown building to reopen as a restaurant, the Warren County Department of Health said.

The Biscuit Company, 1100 Washington St., was closed eight weeks ago after water, mud and sewage seeped into the building at the downtown thoroughfare’s intersection with Grove Street.

“The inside walls on the Washington and Grove street sides of the building need removing and the trapped mud and sewage removed and the wall replaced,” wrote a Warren County Health Inspector, Johnnie Ferrell. She also cited 10 separate repairs that must be made before a restaurant can open again.

The Warren County Department of Health is a branch of the Mississippi State Department of Health, and has the authority to condemn buildings and close restaurants.

The building, which faces Washington, also houses a photography and souvenir business.

The letter was addressed to the building’s owner, S.J. “Skippy” Tuminello.

Rebecca Johnson, a supervisor for the Health Department, verified that the former Biscuit Company building reeked of sewage and other foul substances. She said the Health Department will closely monitor the building once renovations begin.

“Once that sewage is in there you don’t know if it’s still between the walls or in the bricks,” Johnson said. “As things progress we’ll go in and see if everything is OK.”

Restaurant owner Sandy Pearman said the problems at the building began after construction crews contracted by the City of Vicksburg began $5.6 million in urban renewal work on Washington Street.

She and her husband, Les Pearman, have hired a Tupelo-based structural engineer to inspect the building to determine if it’s structurally sound for another restaurant.

Vicksburg attorney Mark Prewitt, hired by the Pearmans, said he has not ruled out filing lawsuit to help them recoup damages from their business closing.

Vicksburg Mayor Laurence Leyens has said the problems with the building should be directed toward Hemphill Construction, the Florence-based contractor working on the urban renewal project.

A spokesman for Hemphill Construction has said it followed specifications furnished by the city.

Meanwhile, Tuminello has met with a contractor to discuss renovation costs and expects an estimate next week.

A restaurant and bar have operated off and on in the building for nearly 30 years.