Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Construction is well underway on the City of Buffalo's "Middle Main Street" project that will see $70 million of total investment going into making Main Street in Buffalo from Goodell Street to Kensington Avenue into a safer, more accessible, and more connected corridor for residents, businesses, cyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, and motorists alike.
However, the work on the West side of Main Street between Virginia and Allen streets is already proving to be a major headache for several business owners in the area.
"We opened in May, and we were going pretty strong. The minute construction started, our sales dropped by 50%, and they've been down as much as 60% - depending on the weeks and the amount of work that's going on out front," said Mike Lignos, co-owner of Kaylena Marie's Artisan Bakery and Cafe with his wife.
For Maura Crawford, proprietor at Coco Bar and Bistro, she thought maybe it was the summer with everyone traveling and being out-and-about that was the reasoning for such a slow pace of business. However, it didn't take long to notice the toll being taken for them.
""It was pretty scary looking. It looked like a war zone," Crawford said in an interview with WBEN. "I think the worst is over for our neck of the woods, though. Our block from Virginia to Allen seems to be almost complete, it looks beautiful. We just need people to know that we're open, and the traffic cones will be leaving, I believe, in a couple of weeks."
While Sean Thompson, owner of House of Masters Grooming Lounge, admits his barbershop has not felt too much of the affects of construction, he certainly understands the frustrations of other fellow business owners along that stretch of Main Street.
"There has been a time where when they actually had the gates up to make sure the people were walking on the sidewalk, where they put blacktop down, kind of created an illusion that some of our businesses were closed. Some of us actually put signage on the fences that were facing the street to let people know that we were open," said Thompson with WBEN.
"There are some disgruntled business owners over here. There is no such thing as a convenient inconvenience."
Despite the construction, businesses along Main Street have been still going about everything as best to normal as possible.
"Everyone here is still doing business as usual. This middle Main project is going to last three, three-and-a-half years, but on our block, we have six forward-facing food and beverage businesses. So this block between Virginia and Allen is a really important part of the food scene in Buffalo - from coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, bars," Crawford said. "Please, if you're down at Shea's or 716 or Irish, just remember we're here. Or the hockey games, whatever. We're still the same inside. The outside just looks a little different."
"We've tried to do as much as we can. The biggest thing we can do right now is hope, because we don't know, nor control what is going to happen on a day-to-day basis," Lignos added. "I run and own a construction company, so I have a lot of understanding of the process, and certainly want to give the construction crews the slack that they need to get their job done. But we don't know necessarily on a daily basis if we're going to be completely blocked off, or partially blocked off, or that customers won't be able to cross the street or even make it to us. It's really tough to plan for that when that happens. We've done a little coordination with the project team, but again, it's day-to-day. Some days look great like today, and other days you can't get here."
Last week, in an effort to help spread the word about businesses being open, Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan and Fillmore District Councilman Mitch Nowakowski helped put together a promo for people to check out Main Street while construction was ongoing along that stretch between Virginia and Allen.
While business owners were pleased to know city leaders are efforting to help them in this difficult time, they feel more can be done.
"I think anything can help. Obviously more information, more notice to people around would be more helpful, but something is better than nothing," Lignos said.
"The city did offer to throw us a street party, but the timing with the weather and the impending winter didn't help. So we're hoping that they do something for us in the spring, but spring is five months away and we have a winter to get through," Crawford added. "My biggest concern is snow removal. That was a problem last year before the construction. The great thing is now I have so many new phone numbers, cell phone numbers in my phone of all the big guys. 'Hi guys, I'm calling you this winter.'"
As for Nowakowski, he felt it was imperative to get the message out for the public to help support businesses along Main Street during a difficult time with construction at their front door step.
"We are on the block of Main Street that we've accomplished from Goodell now all the way up to Allen, working our way up to North Street," said Nowakowski in an interview with WBEN. "You have thriving businesses and longstanding ones like Coco, you have a new bakery that has been an adaptive reuse - that used to be the old Roxy's - you have Lovejoy Pizza, you have Penny's on Main Street. And yes, parking is confusing - especially during construction - but we've mitigated a lot of that, where we need you to park and walk and to support local businesses, because they are truly the backbone of Main Street."
As the project is set to continue along Main Street through 2029, Nowakowski wants as many people as possible - residents and visitors alike - to get used to the construction and be ready to support the businesses no matter what.
"Construction means development, and it means new vitality. If we're going to be successful on Main Street and get these large-scale projects and public infrastructure projects done, we, as a community, need to step up as well and make sure that we're patronizing those establishments, and that we're adhering to the protocols. We're taking the time out to look at the signage and to be a good neighbor, and to patron those establishments," Nowakowski said.
"I can't sleep at night. We're down considerably"
"I can't sleep at night. We're down considerably"
