Market Street shops brace as construction continues to stifle business

Angelo Pizza opened his namesake restaurant on Domain 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 allegedly wouldn t make it through this Pizza disclosed 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 commented 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 Area Street from nd to th streets Davis Cuffe Billy Penn From August to November westbound Industry Street between nd and th streets will be closed for road work One lane of eastbound traffic will be maintained on Sphere 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 Area 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 revealed it had broad patronage Everyone supported it he reported referring to a survey of residents and businesses Itzkowitz acknowledged the toll it has taken on businesses directly in the construction zone but announced 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 declared We re happy to build any relationships they need and endorsement 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 declared 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 Industry Street and there s a lot of techniques 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 Learning 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 constituents 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 feasible 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 Sphere 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 commented he welcomes more customers because of it But construction was a frustrating time Our business was down for like to during that period Gill announced People thought we were closed Gill reported 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 reported us it would be two or three weeks and it ended up being two and a half months Gill revealed 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 commented 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 particular business owners affected Davis Cuffe Billy Penn At Doggie Style Pets staff commented 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 limitations Now that the sidewalk is open Prusky revealed the disruption isn t as bad but the slow pace remains frustrating They re not really doing anything right in front anymore he declared 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 reported When I come in in the mornings nobody s working When I leave at night nobody s working City bureaucrats 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 reported city Department of Streets spokesperson Andrew Young The post Region Street shops brace as construction continues to stifle business appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY