Business owners are calling on the city to step in after major work on a waterline along Somerled Ave. in NDG has dampened business traffic.
Thanks to the construction this month, fewer lanes of traffic and fewer parking spaces are open between Cavendish Blvd. and Bessborough Ave.
That’s frustrating for merchants like Novello Pantoni, who owns Molisano bakery.
“If the street is blocked, people cannot come in. It affects the business by 10 to 15 per cent, so we have to deal with it,” he said.
The owners of Tranzo butcher shop say at least 15 per cent of their business has been sliced off since construction started a month ago.
“It's over a month they've had these no parking signs and they funnel the traffic from two lanes into one lane and no one can park. So it's a mess for us. The five or six spots they could have are gone, and so our customers have to go around the block two or three times and say we can't find parking. It's not going to close us down, but it's not good,” said co-owner Roberto Lamarre.
Among the tangle of signs, cones and construction, there isn't much actual work being done at this site, say observers.
Merchants say they're frustrated with the lack of progress and communication with the city as construction deadlines come and go.
No one from the city could explain the delays to CTV Montreal.
Peter McQueen, a city councillor for NDG, said he doesn't know either.
“Maybe they're waiting for a part or something, so there could be a reason for that, but that's what I'm saying. They have to do better planning up front, so that they avoid this kind of situation where once they get in the ground they see a problem and then delays,” he said.
At Tranzo, they're counting on customer loyalty to get them through these leaner times.
“I hope it's over soon, so we can get back to our normal life and our customers can come and spend money. That's what it's all about. The world's got to turn,” said co-owner Steve Ottoni.
