Charlotte Newton (left) and Josephine Mastersom take their vegan baked goods in front of Auntie Loo’s Treats. While there is still some construction in front of Auntie Loo’s Treats, this section of Bronson has officially reopened.
Businesses on Bronson are seeing more walk-in customers along a short stretch of the avenue that has opened up early – but not everyone is happy.
The blocks between Catherine Street and Gladstone Avenue had been closed since construction began on the busy arterial road in March, decimating the foot traffic that some shops relied upon for business.
The City of Ottawa opened up a single lane in each direction at midnight on Nov. 20 instead of the anticipated mid-December date.
The project is part of a $30-million plan to replace old sewer and water pipes.
The Bronson Avenue Renewal is also part of a $340-million City of Ottawa initiative to improve motorist, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
Businesses that saw a sharp decrease in customers during the construction remain upset about the impact of the roadwork.
Sheldon Macleod, owner of Speedy Auto Repair, had to lay off many of his employees during the construction.
He says the new sidewalk design has made it difficult for wheelchairs to get to his business, cracks on the corner of his shop and his driveway caused by construction vehicles haven’t been repaired, and the city won’t offer any tax deferral for business lost since March.
In fact, he says he’s heard the city is planning to increase his property tax in the near future.
“This is a monument of stupidity,” says Macleod with an air of resignation, nodding at the damages.
He says he’s angry because the “small people are getting walked on” by the city, which never consulted him or his neighbours before the construction.
City officials did not respond to questions surrounding this issue, but Dave Donaldson, chair of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, has said he thinks the benefits of the construction will eventually outweigh the costs.
Just like Speedy Auto Service, Harvey’s laid off many of its staff, and Quiznos – soon to be replaced by a taco restaurant – had to close its doors, according to Amanda Lunan, owner and founder of Auntie Loo’s Treats, a bakery across the street.
Lunan says certain businesses, including her own, will see trees planted in front of their street signage.
During the construction, a hole in the sidewalk in front of her business temporarily prevented her customers and staff from getting to the front door.
“Just to look out and see a pit dug in front of your livelihood and you can’t even figure out how to enter your own business,” she says gesturing to her storefront, “It was more psychological than anything else.”
Kate Veinot, the bakery’s director of operations, says it’s lucky the business doesn’t rely heavily on walk-ins because the foot traffic at its small bakery plummeted.
She says wedding, wholesale, and specialty orders kept them afloat in the midst of construction she compared to a “war zone.”
Veinot also says that Colautti Construction, the company contracted to carry out the work, was extremely supportive of Auntie Loo’s.
Some came in every day for a cupcake and one worker even hired the bakery to cater his wedding and a family member’s 50th anniversary party.
“To see that and have these big burly construction workers get excited over a cupcake every day was fantastic,” Veinot says.
The Centretown Citizens Community Association didn’t receive any serious complaints, says the association's vice-president Rob Dekker.
Some community members expressed concern about increased traffic and noise when the construction began in March, but he says the city deserves credit in rerouting traffic and managing noise.
“Maybe we don’t give enough credit to the city,” he says.
“It won’t be 100 per cent, but I think they got it right in many cases.”
Dekker says he’s happy to see an early re-opening of some traffic lanes because it’s been a hard few months for that area.
Bronson remains closed between Gladstone and Somerset with more blocks set to open in 2013.
The city will close the section between Somerset Street and Laurier Avenue next year for further reconstruction.