Home » Government » Business owners discuss impacts of downtown construction with city.

Business owners discuss impacts of downtown construction with city.

Road Construction sign in downtown Globe. Photo by LCGross

Communication between the City of Globe and downtown merchants may improve after last month’s construction update meeting.

Such communication was lacking when Contractor Paveco, Inc. began the Broad Street pavement and sidewalk project between Mesquite and Cottonwood streets the week of June 24. The work consists of rehabilitation as well as upgrading existing sidewalk and access ramps to meet current ADA guidelines. The project is slated to be finished by Sept. 5.

A June 20 press release cautioned that crews would be working from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and to expect sidewalk closures as well as parking restrictions.

However, not everyone got the memo.

“I think we’re doing a good job getting the PSAs out, but we’re not doing a good job getting them to everyone,” said Globe Public Works Director Jerry Barnes. “I know there’s a lot of confusion going on right now.”

During the June 26 meeting, some downtown business owners and residents were on hand to voice concerns.

One was Tracy Quick, owner of The Huddle, who said, “(Construction) last summer wiped me out. It cost me thousands.”

“Parking, parking, parking,” is the operative word, according to Quick, who pointed out that construction and signs are “wiping out a third of the parking lot.”

“I’m not the only business that’s suffering, I’m just the most vocal one,” she said. 

Parking spaces were closed that “really didn’t need to be closed,” she added.

“Don’t close the street for the whole day if it only needs to be closed for three hours.” 

Cindy Phillips, owner of Turn the Page, said a sign posted in front of her shop could have been placed in front of the empty shops next to hers. 

A Euclid Street resident also suggested that crews put the signs away when finished for the day. 

“We’d appreciate it if you could make it a little less hurtful as the process is going on,” said Sara Hardy, owner of Jammerz Bar, to which Quick added, “All summer may seem quick to you, but it’s hurtful.”

“These are things we can fix,” Barnes responded. “It’s not always possible to accommodate you, but when we can, we should.”

Barnes asked Vince Mariscal to contact the business owners to ensure they have the city’s contact information when they spot a problem.

Councilwoman Charlene Giles said, “The city staff needs to realize that the businesses pay the city’s bills.”

Another issue Barnes discussed is that others were doing preliminary work prior to the city’s own street work.

“There’s a lot of construction going in downtown right now,” he said. “Not all of it is the city’s, but it is city-related.”

Southwest Gas, for example, was trying to work on its own lines before city contractors began.

“It would be a waste of money if they cut up our road after we paved it,” Barnes explained.

The city invited its contractors as well as representatives from the Arizona Department of Transportation, Southwest Gas and Arizona Eastern Railway to attend the June 26 meeting.

They agreed to address their employees about issues that were raised.

Barnes told the business owners that, with construction over, “Hopefully you will have parking out in front of your businesses with nice striping.”

Barnes reported that since 2004, the City of Globe made improvements and updates to the city’s infrastructure that should last many years into the future.

“We are trying to be proactive instead of reactive, as has been done in the past,” he said.

Barnes previewed several future projects, the largest of which may be replacement of “Connie’s Bridge,” for which the city recently received a $2.81 million direct appropriation from the state.

The new bridge along Jesse Hayes Road should improve traffic flow with an intersection that “should be aligned when the bridge is replaced,” Barnes said.

Over the years, flow debris has resulted in damage, bringing into question the bridge’s structural integrity and making its replacement a top priority.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *