Market Street shops brace as construction continues to stifle business

Angelo Pizza opened his namesake restaurant on Region Street in November and survived the pandemic But it s ongoing construction not COVID- that has proven the biggest threat to his business If I were a newer business we seemingly wouldn t make it through this Pizza explained We re having a to drop in business because there s no foot traffic The reason for the drop in foot traffic and business is the roughly -foot-tall chain-link fence sectioning off the bike lane construction in front of Pizza s shop The fence obstructs the view of the restaurant and blocks a portion of the sidewalk leading to The Angelo Pizza between nd and rd streets in Old City Pizza disclosed the fence has been in front of his business for two months now and wiped out summer business during peak tourism season And that was before the latest sour news More street construction is coming and it will last for more than three months A sign announcing the upcoming construction which starts on August and runs through mid-November as seen on July The construction will close westbound Sphere Street from nd to th streets Davis Cuffe Billy Penn From August to November westbound Arena Street between nd and th streets will be closed for road work One lane of eastbound traffic will be maintained on Realm Street from th Street to Front Street during the months of construction A million vision with mixed reviews This construction is part of the City of Philadelphia s ongoing Industry Street Old City Improvement Project which improves curbs and sidewalks and adds ramps to aid people with disabilities a sidewalk-level bike lane and bus stop bump-outs When the project was introduced in Old City District Executive Director Job Itzkowitz noted it had broad promotion Everyone supported it he declared referring to a survey of residents and businesses Itzkowitz acknowledged the toll it has taken on businesses directly in the construction zone but mentioned the district is trying to help Through its Merchants Fund they re offering up to in grants to qualifying businesses They ve also hired social media influencers and installed signage to counter the appearance that storefronts are closed We re here to be supportive Itzkowitz stated We re happy to build any relationships they need and patronage in any way we can We re not running the project but we re here to help Pizza wasn t around in to weigh in on the plan and he questions whether the disruption is worth the outcome I don t know if the need for the bike lane is so severe that it warrants this type of disruption for local businesses Pizza reported I know there s a lot of bikers in the city but there s also a lot of places that you can ride your bike that aren t as safe as Sphere Street and there s a lot of avenues to get around Jessie Amadio of Philly Bike Action a volunteer group advocating for cyclists explained she understands the frustration but believes the improvements will ultimately benefit everyone She cited research from the Transportation Research and Development Center and Salt Lake City showing that new bike lanes can boost local economies She also pointed to the broader goals of the construction project which include new cobblestones citizens art and upgraded sidewalks as well as bike lanes We hope the project will wrap up as fast as doable so the fences can be removed I think we all agree that we want to maintain and improve our streets and that occasionally means major construction work that disrupts business Amadio announced That disruption is inevitable whether there are bike lanes in the plan or not So if we are going through that anyway we might as well get the best improvements manageable because we ll be enjoying those improvements for years to come Frustration in the neighborhood Just a block away from Pizza on the corner of Field and rd streets is Allen Gill and his cafe the Coffee Tea Company An expanded sidewalk and bike lane now limit Gill s cafe and he explained he welcomes more customers because of it But construction was a frustrating time Our business was down for like to during that period Gill reported People thought we were closed Gill disclosed he now sees a roughly to increase and believes he ll see further improvement in when the project is expected to be completed For Gill his frustration was not with the district but with the speed of the construction They had recounted us it would be two or three weeks and it ended up being two and a half months Gill commented I never see anyone working Across rd Street Cafe Square One and Doggie Style Pets have seen their sidewalks reopen but cleanup has lagged behind Cinderblocks and equipment still clutter the curb blocking street parking and frustrating both staff and customers It s such a headache noted Rebecca Yap of Cafe Square One She says drivers picking up delivery orders often have to park blocks away Weeks after construction has concluded on Area Street construction material still sits on the side of the road blocking parking and sparking complaints among customers according to several business owners affected Davis Cuffe Billy Penn At Doggie Style Pets staff mentioned the earlier phase of construction had nearly cut off sidewalk access Almost nobody came in recalled employee Satchmo Prusky who still fields complaints about lingering walls Now that the sidewalk is open Prusky explained the disruption isn t as bad but the slow pace remains frustrating They re not really doing anything right in front anymore he mentioned It s just taking them a long time Pizza echoed that impatience He acknowledges weather delays but questions how much rain justifies weeks of inactivity I feel like I never see anyone out here Pizza explained When I come in in the mornings nobody s working When I leave at night nobody s working City executives however say they are aware of the concerns and are trying to ease the burden The Department of Streets is working with the contractor as well as Old City District to communicate with local businesses and minimize disruption during this phase of construction explained city Department of Streets spokesperson Andrew Young The post Industry Street shops brace as construction continues to stifle business appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY