Street closure for Confed Centre renos a 'gut punch' to business on Victoria Row

Kimberly McIntyre said coming to work Tuesday morning at her store on Victoria Row in Charlottetown and seeing a big yellow fence closing the street to vehicle traffic was like a "huge emotional gut punch."

She knew the street would be blocked off at some point to accommodate a $65-million renovation project at the neighbouring Confederation Centre of the Arts.

But she said she got no notice from the city or the Confederation Centre that it would begin this week.

"It's just really discouraging and frustrating… I feel very defeated." 

The Confed Centre is undergoing a major renovation to the former library space. The library closed in 2022 after 57 years and moved into a 40,000-square-foot space in the Dominion Building, across from the Confederation Centre on Queen Street.  

In a statement to CBC News, Confederation Centre officials said the goal from the start has been to reduce disruption on Victoria Row as much as possible. The plan is to move construction off the street in late June to make way for the tourist season.

McIntyre owns of Kuriosities Jewelry and Crow's Nest, which are among about a dozen year-round businesses on Victoria Row. She worries about the impact the construction and resulting street closure will have on sales — especially if it goes longer than expected.

"It's very scary," she said.

"I'm a production-based business. So right now my staff, we're elves in the workshop, making jewellery every day to prepare for summer. Normally we'd know how much jewellery that we should be making, so I could be putting all my money into production for a season that just never happens, and then how am I supposed to make payroll? How am I supposed to pay rent?"

The street is regularly closed to vehicle traffic in the summer but nobody minds because it's so busy with pedestrians. And it is only blocked off with a small swinging gate.  

Rebecca Kelly, who lives above one of the restaurants on the popular Richmond Street stretch, worries about how emergency vehicles will get through the six-foot fence quickly if there's a problem, especially when it's locked at night.

"We don't mind the road being closed, I think it's just how it was done," she said. "It limits first responders from being able to enter the row, and it is our busiest [area] in downtown Charlottetown."

Anytime you have construction you need to make sure there is a fence around to keep people out and keep them safe.— Richard MacEwen, City of Charlottetown

That shouldn't be a problem, said Richard MacEwen, director of community services for the City of Charlottetown. He said emergency vehicles will have access at all hours.

But the row needs to be closed to all other traffic for safety reasons, he said. 

"You could have people entering into a construction site, so anytime you have construction you need to make sure there is a fence around to keep people out and keep them safe."

Some people CBC spoke with downtown seemed unfazed by the closure. With the sidewalk still open, they plan to keep shopping, and are glad the work is starting in the winter when fewer people are around.

"This is one of the best streets, so it lights up pretty good at night," said Yaksh Baswala, who lives downtown.  

"The whole idea is not to drive but to take a walk... this won't stop me."

McIntyre hopes others realize the businesses are still open despite the road being closed. She said it's been causing her to have sleepless nights.

"It's full steam ahead without considering the impacts, which is really discouraging and disappointing after we've just gone through COVID, to have another situation where were being asked to pivot, to be creative, to think outside the box, to work harder, to work longer — I'm going to get emotional here — there's only so many times you can be asked to do that."