Construction delays impact local businesses

Local businesses and their patrons are becoming anxious for the construction on Kirkwood Avenue to be over.

The Kirkwood Project is the third and last phase of construction this year.

“It was done to better enhance the downtown,” Manager of Engineering for the City of Bloomington Justin Wykoff said. “Most towns have a signature street, and Kirkwood is ours.”

Phase 1, which included from Walnut Street to Grant Street, was completed in 1999, and Phase 2 was finished in 2001.

Wykoff said the three phases consist of street renewal and putting in storm water culverts and new amenities, such as sidewalks, benches and bike racks.

Wykoff added that Phase 3 was designed during the construction of Phase 2 in 2001.
Phase 3 includes from College Avenue to Rogers Street, right where Framemakers is located.

Mike Friesel, manager of Framemakers, which is located on West Kirkwood Avenue, said summertime always slows down business, but Kirkwood’s construction has had a definite impact.

“We’re always down in the summer, but we’re down 30 to 40 percent than where we usually are in July and August,” Friesel said.

The project started May 10th and was originally scheduled to take 105 days.

“They’re a little behind, but it had to happen,” Friesel said.

With having such a limited staff right now, Framemakers didn’t have to worry about laying off any of their employees.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to have people gone on overseas study,” Friesel said. “We have been running on minimum staff, so that worked out nicely.”

Despite the delays, the City of Bloomington hopes to have the construction completed soon.

“We’re going to have Kirkwood to Madison opened by September 13,” Wykoff said. “The last block will be open October 11.”

The Garrett Antiques and Do Salon are also in the construction zone.

Nancy Garrett, owner of The Garrett Antiques, said she hasn’t had a clue what the construction workers have been doing.

“They’ve been redoing the sewer pipes, putting in new pipes and building brick sidewalk,” Garrett said. “I can’t imagine what all they’ve been doing because they have been at it for so long.”

With Garrett’s whole front porch blocked off with orange tape and wire fences cutting off the entrance, it’s a maze for her customers to get inside.

“It’s all the more difficult,” Garrett said. “It’s noisy, it’s dusty and people can’t get to me.”

Garrett’s not the only one with customer inconvenience. Do Salon’s patrons have had
parking issues.

Lee Parker, owner of Do Salon, has had customer complaints.

“I think they are mostly frustrated about the parking,” Parker said. “They have to end up parking on Fourth, Madison or Sixth Street.”

With the construction on the sewer pipes and utilities outside the salon, it’s been important for the workers to stay in contact with Parker because any interruption with the utilities can affect business.

“We’re all about water and heat here,” Parker said. “If they need to shut our gas or water off, they come and ask our permission.”

Parker understands the delay of the construction and is excited for the result.

“I mean, when you start digging, you are bound to run into sewer problems,” Parker said. “If the task were up to me, I would have made it a 24/7 project.”

But the City of Bloomington has a noise ordinance starting at 10 p.m. and lasting until 6 a.m., so the construction workers are prohibited from working during that time.

“We have a lot of people we have got to try and keep happy,” Wykoff said. “Businesses probably prefer us to work continually, and residents want their peace
and quiet.”