By Rose Laudicina
Staff Writer
Beyond the bulldozers, the dust, the orange cones and the construction blockades on Weaver Street are businesses in desperate need of some TLC from customers.
Like their counterparts on the east block of Weaver Street earlier this year, restaurants like Provence and shops like The Red Hen and Balloons & Tunes are feeling the negative effects of the costly Weaver Street reconstruction project.
These businesses and others that have seen their main access road shut down for months at a time due to construction are experiencing a significant drop in both customers and profits.
“We probably would have done better just closing for the month of July than to have stayed open and paid those employees,†said Balloons & Tunes owner Pat Garavaglia.
Garavaglia said that even though access to her store is currently open, she believes that due to the construction many people are avoiding the area and are unsure of how to access businesses in the construction zone.
The Weaver Street reconstruction project to replace the street’s collapsing roadbed and the 80-year-old water main beneath it began on the east block in March and is scheduled for completion in March 2012. Construction, which is progressing east to west, has recently moved into phase three, which will last six to eight weeks, according to Annette Stone, Carrboro’s economic and community development director. Phase three will close down a portion of West Weaver Street from west of Center Street to west of Oak Street.
Stone said she is in constant communication with the affected businesses and that the town is doing everything it can to help.
Signs are posted around construction areas notifying people that businesses are open and informing pedestrians and motorists of new traffic patterns and open-access routes. Stone also said the town is about to launch an advertising campaign to get the word out about the open businesses and to encourage consumers to visit.
While Carrboro is working hard to help the ailing businesses, some business owners, such as Provence owner Felix Roux, believe the contractor and the construction workers are doing less than they could to get the work done.
Provence has been at its current location, 203. W. Weaver St., for 10 years, and Roux said he has noticed a significant drop in business since construction began, which has prompted him to try to promote the restaurant through coupon sites like Groupon.
Roux is frustrated with the construction workers because he believes they are not working nearly enough to complete the project in an efficient timeframe.
“They don’t work Saturday, they don’t work Sunday, some days they don’t show up and some days they leave at 3:15,†Roux said.
Garavaglia also has noticed the downtime on multiple occasions and believes that the town should have waited to start construction until they had enough money to hire the construction crew to work longer hours.
She said she understands there is a noise ordinance in the area because of nearby residences, but still believes crews should be working as late as possible.
In response to concerns about the contractor’s seeming lack of urgency to finish the project, Stone said, “The contractor is highly conscious of the need to get this finished.â€
“A timeframe has been set, and we are trying to make it as easy as possible,†she added.
Stone said that since the town is working with a private contractor, it doesn’t control the construction workers and when they do or don’t work. The town has negotiated appropriate work times with the contractor in regards to the noise ordinance, and Stone said she believes the contractor is proceeding on a reasonable schedule.
Speaking from firsthand knowledge of this project. I’m retired and watch this place on a daily basis. These people are ridiculous! Let’s look at all businesses in North Carolina. Everybody is hurting. We are in a recession, and businesses are hurting across the board. Stop using this project as a scapegoat. Progress sometimes causes problems. Get over yourselves. If you want to see how late they work, if you want to see how many weekends they work, go look at the public works records for this project. Those poor guys work just about every Saturday. This is pubic information. Go look it up. Why don’t the reporters write how the town has spent tax payers money installing numerous signs and banners to cater to the business owners? Go back to a recent article about the spotted dog owner complaining about her on street parking going away during the construction. After the E. Weaver block was opened, Linda and her employees use those spots! Look in the mirror folks!