Home News Local News High Street business owners brace for major road works starting next summer

High Street business owners brace for major road works starting next summer

September 8, 2024

919

By Mike Anderson

With road construction slated to start next summer and expected to last until the fall of 2026, some High Street business owners are concerned the loss of parking and sidewalk access may drive them out of business.

Debbie Macina, owner of Sweet Pea Boutique, a retail clothing store at 130 High Street, wants to see more details about the Town’s plan to rebuild High Street from Hwy 48 to Dalton Road and how it will mitigate the impact of construction on local businesses.

“It’s going to impact in a big way because I’m going to lose a lot of walk-in sales. It’s already tough with parking. So imagine when there’s construction here, ” Macina said.

“Our Town is very good at supporting High Street businesses. So, the Town and the community will step up. They did during COVID. So, I am optimistic. But I worry about the businesses that are just getting by now. How do we help those businesses? How do we keep them afloat?”

When Macina first heard about High Street’s reconstruction — which includes new water mains, storm sewers, sidewalks and curbs, and possibly burying overhead hydro lines — she considered moving her business to Keswick or Beaverton but eventually decided against it.

Instead, she plans to grow her online sales by participating in more home and vendor shows.

However, online sales are not an option for some businesses on High Street.

Elaine Coates, the owner of Black River Coffee, 126 High St, worries she may lose her business.

“During COVID, you could pivot and still survive, but with something like this, how do you pivot when nobody can get to you?”

“If the road is shut down for a year, you’ll lose businesses. Look what happened in Newmarket when they closed down Yonge St. to do the bus thing. Twenty-three businesses were gone because of the way they shut it down.”

Coates would like to see the construction completed in phases, with certain road sections remaining open.

“If they were to shut down, hypothetically, from River Street to Market Street for one month. And I was closed for a month; I could handle a month without income,” Coates said.

While Coates is hopeful the Town will devise a plan to help businesses stay open during construction, she wants Town staff to provide those details sooner rather than later.

“We need time to prepare ourselves. You need a game plan, and you can’t do that within two or three months, ” Coates said.

During a presentation to the Sutton BIA on June 27, Michael Vos, the Town’s director of operations and infrastructure, said a “business disruption mitigation plan” would be developed.

However, he admitted that details may have to wait until the fall, when the project team is finalized.

Vos also pointed out that while the design budget has been approved by council, the construction budget won’t be until this December, as part of the Town’s budget discussions — with the final design expected to be approved by spring 2025.