Transit Avenue reconstruction has tried patience of businesses, customers
By Lynn Zerschling | Posted: Monday, October 20, 2008
Work is still under way near Peters Park in Sioux City although traffic can now move along Morningside Avenue. (Journal photos by Jerry Mennenga)
SIOUX CITY -- Business at Jim Anderson's Red Rose Antiques has more than dropped off the chart. It's become almost nonexistent since contractors started rebuilding Transit Avenue and nearby streets last April.
From May through September last year, Anderson said his sales totaled a little more than $40,000. From May through mid-October, his sales have hovered around $1,100.
"I have to ride it out," Anderson said. "I have too much inventory."
Just a short distance away, Don Drilling is getting creative to drum up business while contractors have torn up Morningside Avenue in front of his pharmacy. Sales set a store record in July.
"Anybody that called about anything, we saw to it that they got it even if that meant driving out to their house to pick up their prescription, filling it and taking it back to them," said Drilling, owner of Drilling Pharmacy, at 4010 Morningside Avenue.
Response is mixed to the six-month-plus reconstruction project near the busy intersection of Morningside Avenue, South St. Aubin Street and Transit Avenue in the heart of Peters Park, one of Morningside's oldest neighborhoods.
Last January, at the request of Transit Plaza merchants and the Morningside Commercial Club, the City Council agreed to merge the second and third phases of the Transit Avenue project into this year, instead of stretching it through 2009.
The estimated $5 million to $6 million project centers on rebuilding the aging infrastructure -- many of the underground lines are 100 years old. New sidewalks, decorative lighting and other streetscape designs will be added, while a 3,000-foot trail will be built across from Transit Plaza, David Carney, the city's senior civil engineer overseeing the project, said.
The end result might look good, said Tim Girard, co-owner of the Peters Park Flea Market at 3938 Transit Ave. But he says he's lost most of his customers.
"Our whole store front on two corners has been closed to traffic. ... I blame it on lack of planning and execution by the city," Girard said.
Anderson said he has depended upon his furniture and juke box restoration business to keep him afloat.
During construction, some basements have flooded, including the basements of Girard's flea market and Drilling Pharmacy. Drilling said the contractor sent out his insurance adjuster, cleaned up the mess and paid the repair bills.
Marilyn Wheelock, office manager for her husband's dentist office at 4100 Morningside Ave, said, "We're at the end of the reconstruction area and it has been inconvenient. But, our patients are excited about what this will do for the whole area. ... Sometimes you have to have a little pain to have a nice product."
Wheelock added, "We're kind of pumped."
In a nutshell
The news: The $5 million-$6 million reconstruction project is designed to improve one of Morningside's oldest neighborhoods. It includes storms sewers, new sidewalks, decorative lighting, a trail and other streetscape improvements.
The pro: Many store owners expect the improvements to benefit the entire area, including their respective businesses.
The con: Some store owners say a lack of proper planning and flooding problems have marred the process. They claim sales are down dramatically since the project started.
What's next: Construction began in April and the entire project is set to be completed in November.
From May through September last year, Anderson said his sales totaled a little more than $40,000. From May through mid-October, his sales have hovered around $1,100.
"I have to ride it out," Anderson said. "I have too much inventory."
Just a short distance away, Don Drilling is getting creative to drum up business while contractors have torn up Morningside Avenue in front of his pharmacy. Sales set a store record in July.
"Anybody that called about anything, we saw to it that they got it even if that meant driving out to their house to pick up their prescription, filling it and taking it back to them," said Drilling, owner of Drilling Pharmacy, at 4010 Morningside Avenue.
Response is mixed to the six-month-plus reconstruction project near the busy intersection of Morningside Avenue, South St. Aubin Street and Transit Avenue in the heart of Peters Park, one of Morningside's oldest neighborhoods.
Last January, at the request of Transit Plaza merchants and the Morningside Commercial Club, the City Council agreed to merge the second and third phases of the Transit Avenue project into this year, instead of stretching it through 2009.
The estimated $5 million to $6 million project centers on rebuilding the aging infrastructure -- many of the underground lines are 100 years old. New sidewalks, decorative lighting and other streetscape designs will be added, while a 3,000-foot trail will be built across from Transit Plaza, David Carney, the city's senior civil engineer overseeing the project, said.
The end result might look good, said Tim Girard, co-owner of the Peters Park Flea Market at 3938 Transit Ave. But he says he's lost most of his customers.
"Our whole store front on two corners has been closed to traffic. ... I blame it on lack of planning and execution by the city," Girard said.
Anderson said he has depended upon his furniture and juke box restoration business to keep him afloat.
During construction, some basements have flooded, including the basements of Girard's flea market and Drilling Pharmacy. Drilling said the contractor sent out his insurance adjuster, cleaned up the mess and paid the repair bills.
Marilyn Wheelock, office manager for her husband's dentist office at 4100 Morningside Ave, said, "We're at the end of the reconstruction area and it has been inconvenient. But, our patients are excited about what this will do for the whole area. ... Sometimes you have to have a little pain to have a nice product."
Wheelock added, "We're kind of pumped."
In a nutshell
The news: The $5 million-$6 million reconstruction project is designed to improve one of Morningside's oldest neighborhoods. It includes storms sewers, new sidewalks, decorative lighting, a trail and other streetscape improvements.
The pro: Many store owners expect the improvements to benefit the entire area, including their respective businesses.
The con: Some store owners say a lack of proper planning and flooding problems have marred the process. They claim sales are down dramatically since the project started.
What's next: Construction began in April and the entire project is set to be completed in November.
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Steve wrote on Oct 21, 2008 12:18 PM:
Steve wrote on Oct 21, 2008 12:17 PM:
Caroline wrote on Oct 20, 2008 8:32 PM:
Jerry Rig wrote on Oct 20, 2008 4:39 PM:
Where the hell was Dave on this deal? I guess he's doing just fine without caring about others?
Jerry "
hc wrote on Oct 20, 2008 3:53 PM: