Bank Street businesses fear street closure
Last Updated: Friday, April 24, 2009 | 3:07 PM ET
CBC News
Business owners say the construction that begins Monday on Bank Street will hurt business still struggling to get back on track after Ottawa's transit strike. (Rebecca Zandbergen/CBC) The City of Ottawa's plan to shut down a portion of Bank Street on Monday has its businesses owners fearing that another difficult season will follow on the heels of the transit strike.
The street will be shut down between Somerset Street and Arlington Avenue to complete the final phase of a four-year construction project to replace its sewer and water lines.
Mark Thériault, who runs a bakery on Bank Street, said that closure could be too much for some businesses to bear.
This year, he said, those businesses have already had to deal with the effects of the recession, along with buses being rerouted because of major fires and the transit strike.
"Even the people that live here, you know they'll find alternate roads. They're not going to walk on Bank Street [with] all the dust and construction and noise," Thériault said.
Many of the businesses along the street depend on foot traffic to make ends meet, he said.
"If it's an obstacle course and [customers] have to jump over fences or cross the street, I'm in big trouble," he said.
William Hurman, the owner of a Bank Street pub, hopes the loyalty of his customers will carry him though the construction season. (Rebecca Zandbergen/CBC) Pub owner William Hurman said he's counting on the loyalty of his customers to get him through the construction season.
"The majority of our customers are local," he said. "They're going to come here come hell or high water and we're very thankful of that.
"And if we're ever going to support local businesses, it has to be now."
Gerry LePage, who heads up the Bank Street Business Improvement Area, said it will be easier for customers to get to businesses than some owners might think.
"All the businesses still have access so it looks worse than it is with respect to that," he said.
Regardless of accessibility, Thériault said, he's come up with a backup plan.
"I've got to go and do more catering and go outside and try to get restaurants or hotels," he said.
