SPOKANE, Wash.- Construction began Monday at the intersection of South Washington Street and Boone Avenue, and this is concerning to businesses and commuters.
The City of Spokane said construction at this intersection will be on water and sewer lines that are more than 100 years old. They said signal replacement and grind and overlay work will also take place.
“Every time you go somewhere, there’s a road block or something. And you know…it’s kind of frustrating,” Janet Tomlinson, a Spokane resident shopping at Boulevard Mercantile, said.
Boulevard Mercantile’s vintage store sits just south of the construction on South Washington Avenue.
Tomlinson spent the afternoon shopping at Boulevard with her friend from Idaho, Molly Loncosty.
Loncosty says since she doesn’t live in Spokane, when she does come to town and there is construction, it affects her commute.
“You’ll be driving along [and] then, like today, ‘Oh! I can’t even get to the Boulevard’,” Loncosty said.
Boulevard Mercantile’s co-owner Joellen Jeffers has concerns about the construction.
“I’m worried it will deter people form thinking maybe they’d pop in, and they just can’t find us for some reason, ’cause they have to go all the way around,” Jeffers said.
The City of Spokane provided a heads-up to businesses in the area that the construction would begin April 8.
Jeffers told NonStop Local that this is true.
However, even with the City’s warning, Boulevard Mercantile had to cancel their sidewalk sale, which is one of their biggest business events.
“We just didn’t feel like we’d get enough traffic for that…It’s a big day for our sales. But, we’re going to try to do some other things…Some other pop-up events. Hopefully we will make up for that little lack of sales,” Jeffers said.
The construction is set to wrap up on April 22.
