Portland bakery owner delays grand opening after car crashes into storefront

A car crash at Sugar Bakery in Portland on Monday has forced owner Maria McGary to delay her grand opening. "I had friends over on Sunday to practice run and I went and got all my groceries to be making the announcement yesterday, but I made a different kind of announcement," McGary said. The crash involved two vehicles, with one slamming into the front of the bakery at the corner of 26th and Bank Streets. "They're going to have to rebuild the whole front side of the facade. I didn't think it was terribly structural, but it is quite a bit," she said.On Tuesday, yellow tape blocked off the front of the store, where the damage was still apparent. Parts of the building's facade were caved in, leaving a gaping hole, and remnants of the car were scattered throughout the area. "I don't know exactly how it happened, but I know there's quite a bit of speed on Bank Street," McGary said. "I can't say I'm not surprised. I'm really surprised actually."Speeding and pedestrian safety on Bank Street are ongoing concerns. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is studying traffic patterns along the corridor, including potential traffic-calming measures and two-way street conversions. McGary has attended public meetings on the issue. "There are improvements to be made all over the place. I think they've got some really creative projects that they've put forward," she said. According to KYTC's website, the final planning study is expected to be published by late summer. In the meantime, the owner who renovated the historic building is considering immediate steps to prevent future crashes. "He had talked about putting up the concrete posts around the front just to maybe slow people down a little bit," she said. Despite the setback, McGary is finding encouragement from her community and remains determined to move forward, ultimately finding a sweet spot in this sour situation."If you can't hop back up, you're not going to make it in life," she said. "You have to be resilient and most people in Portland are."When Sugar Bakery does officially open it will operate on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Expect a range of yummy treats including cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies, floats, lunch items, snowballs, and coffee roasted locally.LMPD says two people suffered minor injuries in the crash, and a Metro IPL inspector was requested to the scene.