Growing pains: Prince George cafe shuttered due to construction aimed at revitalizing downtown
Owner of Ohh Chocolat says business has dropped 40% since work on condo development began in March
The very construction meant to revitalize downtown Prince George, B.C., has forced the closure of one of the area's existing businesses.
The owner of Ohh Chocolat, a local cafe that serves different chocolate products, coffee, baked goods and sandwiches, says she will be shuttering her storefront until construction is finished.
Construction related to a major 151-unit condominium development has blocked the intersection of 6th Avenue and George Street. It's part of a major redevelopment to revitalize the city's downtown core.
But the ambitious revitalization efforts have had side-effects.
Caroline Longhurst says sales at her cafe have dropped 40 per cent since construction began in March.
"As a business owner, the numbers tell the tale," Longhurst said.
"People don't want to come downtown right now because of the construction, because of the lack of parking, because of the lack of lighting ... They see the signs and they don't want to get stuck anywhere."
Prolonged construction
Longhurst said she was aware the closures would begin in the spring but did not expect them to continue into the fall.
Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall said the closures are related to work on pipes and infrastructure under the road that needs to be updated in advance of the new condo.
[My customers] have a hard time navigating just to get to the businesses ... They just don't come down.- Toni Schell, owner of Serengeti Northern BC
He said the city expected the update to finish earlier.
"Once they [got] into the ground, [crews identified] a number of lines that are running there beyond what we had expected, so that work has taken time. And we have pipes under there that are 60 and 70 years old," Hall said.
"Every time they dig they find something different and that's what's really turned this project into something bigger than we'd anticipated."
Large area affected
It's not just Ohh Chocolat that has seen its business affected by the prolonged construction. The owners of a nearby Keg restaurant have been involved in meetings with the city about how this development is affecting their operations.
Toni Schell, the owner of Serengeti Northern BC, an international food and grocery store in the same area, says construction all over the downtown core has hurt business.
"We have currently a 48 per cent drop in business," Schell said. "[My customers] have a hard time navigating just to get to the businesses … They just don't come down."
Hall says financial compensation for the businesses being hurt by construction isn't a feasible option for the city but it can help in other ways.
"As a municipality … we're not in a position to financially [help] businesses," Hall said. "What we can do is help out with … improved signage, lighting and identifying that these businesses are still open."
Condo still an important project
Hall also emphasized how important the condo development is for the city, saying it is gratifying to see new housing go up in downtown Prince George.
Colleen Van Mook, executive director of the Downtown Prince George Business Improvement Association, said she is glad to see the condo development as well, but said there is a need for balance.
"Certain things that are unavoidable when you are pulling up roads and dealing with old infrastructure," Van Mook said.
"It's very important for us to learn from this and work together [any way] we can to minimize the impact of businesses downtown and help them thrive during construction and come out the other end still able to provide great businesses in our downtown."
With files from Daybreak North