Construction impacts local businesses

Posted 5/19/09 (Tue)

As the Main Street project continues, local businesses are feeling the impact. A number of business owners were on hand at Tuesday’s project meeting to voice their concerns.
“My coffee crowd is down to nothing,” said Mardi Schock, owner of the Quilted Bean. “I’m losing money big time.”
She feels business has fallen off because of the inaccessibility to her store, as people have to go two blocks and cut down the alley to enter, and then return the same way when they leave. The coffee bar and quilt shop is limited to back door access at this point in the construction, and Schock inquired about signs pointing the way to the rear entrance.
“To be honest, that wasn’t in the plans and we really didn’t think about it,” said Velva City Commissioner Scott Blotter. “Those metal signs are quite expensive, and they would have to be paid for by the city.”
Velva Fresh Foods is on the west side of Main and has not yet had access blocked, but owner Shawn Vedaa noted he, too, has had a drop off in business.
“I’m down 100 to 150 customers a week,” he said. “The people that do come in are core shoppers. The receipts show people are still doing their big shopping here, but we’re losing our convenience shoppers.”
Vedaa figures it has cost him money and customers, but said he thinks it would help if customers could access his parking lot from Main Street.
The project engineers, who agreed to this last week, said they are waiting for delivery of the entrance signs.