LAC LA BICHE - Despite limited access to the block of 101 Ave. between 101st Street and 102nd Street due to work on the current phase of the Main Street Revitalization project, some merchants in the downtown construction zone say their bottom lines are doing OK.
Chris Palamaruk, co-owner of Modern Wears, said despite business being somewhat slow, it’s still going alright. While a construction fence restricts access to the front of the family-run store, Palamaruk says they have transitioned well by directing traffic through their rear entrance doors.
“We have good signage, so people are finding us,” Palamaruk told Lakeland This Week.
Going into the construction season, Palamaruk – like other downtown business owners – was apprehensive regarding what the current phase of the Main Street project could mean for commerce. While this project isn’t a necessarily a positive thing for business, she said, the work being done – a $32.5 million project to replace pipes and other pieces of infrastructure – is necessary.
While the business sector may be holding its own right now, as the construction continues into the warmer months, Palamaruk is concerned that things will slow down considerably.
“My opinion, as summer goes on? I think it’s going to get quieter and quieter,” she said, adding that she expects this period of economic slowdown to continue until Main Street reopens. “And I think that’s what happened on the block last year.”
Macey Tailfeathers, the manager of The Great Canadian Liquor Store, said that while business isn’t as constant as it was prior to the orange construction fences going up on April 23, things are not down as much as they could be.
“Business is not as steady as it was, but we’ve still got some of our customers coming in,” she said.
She said the challenges of the construction and reduced traffic means that she and her bosses and the local staff just have to work at finding some great promotions to draw people in.
For now, she added, the focus is on seeing how sales are each month and trying to figure out new ways to bring them back up.
She said the business is hoping to run more ads on local radio stations, put up additional signs to increase visibility, along with posting on social media as well.
The current phase of the Main Street Revitalization is expected to run until late October. Recent and steady rainfall, however, may see those plans change as the weeks go by. The work is part of a three-phase project that will replace old underground utility pipelines and upgrading surface features like sidewalks, pavement and street lighting.
