Businesses demand changes to uptown Waterloo roadwork
WATERLOO — Businesses in uptown Waterloo are fed up with lengthy construction delays on road improvement work that has turned King Street into a maze of dust, dirt and fences.
“We lose about $2,000 weekly,” Shaun Sutter of Ponyboy Vapes said over the loud rumbling of a cement truck directly behind a spot at the corner of King and Bridgeport where two dozen local business owners gathered to protest Monday.
“I know businesses that have shut down. This is our bread and butter as small business owners.”
A section of King Street between Erb and Bridgeport has been closed since spring for road improvement work that has fallen behind schedule. It’s a joint city and Region of Waterloo project managed by the region.
Coun. Melissa Durrell, who represents the uptown core, said the new timeline for road work between Erb and Bridgeport went from 14 weeks to 24.5 weeks. She said nearly 25 per cent of the project is now being deferred until 2018.
“How can small independent business owners be expected to prepare for that?”
This summer also marks the third summer of headache-inducing road work in the uptown core, the last two being work to lay tracks for the region’s light rail transit project.
In April, it was anticipated this roadwork — to install new sewers and water mains and also put in bike lanes and better lighting — would be finished in one construction season. At the time the city asked for a faster construction period in smaller sections to cause less disruption to local businesses and visitors to uptown. Durrell said that hasn’t gone according to plan.
“We cleared the way for work to get done at night and on weekends,” she said. “That isn’t happening. We need to take a stand.”
The lengthy delays are not the only source of woe for local businesses. Many business owners also say a lack of communication on construction work has caused strain.
Jen Freitas, of the Truth Beauty Company inside the Princess Twin building, said there was a moatlike hole in front of the entrance with a wooden plank to get inside.
“Who would want to cross that?” She said she has received disappointing responses from regional council who have told her they don’t see a problem with the way construction is conducted uptown.
“I don’t understand how they are not working harder to open this road,” Freitas said. “It’s not OK to lose any business.”
The chair of the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area said the region does respond on a complaint basis, but that isn’t enough when people show up to unexpected holes outside their storefronts.
“There needs to be a better system,” Jeff Zavitz said. “Communication has been the biggest shortfall.”
Some businesses are trying to stay above it all. Sutter said Ponyboy Vapes has started deliveries through bike couriers to get products to customers who are deterred by the daunting construction.
“We have to come up with so many resourceful ways. We’re trying to stay positive.”
Durrell wants to see the region make some changes. She wants to see a commitment to speed up construction work, for the region to provide funding and resources to help struggling business owners, and a moratorium on all uptown roadwork in 2018.
“We love the big picture, we are excited for it, but I think we need to re-evaluate the current projects in the uptown.”
This project also includes road reconstruction along King all the way to University Avenue. It is expected to continue into 2019.