Cape Broadway businesses blame construction for lost sales

Orange cones along Broadway have induced nightmares for some business owners in Cape Girardeau, who say that the signs of contruction are a constant reminder of why fewer people are packing their stores.

Autumn Demopoulos, the owner of California Juice Club, is chief among them. She even believes in her heart of hearts that the lost business could lead to the demise of her business.

"In my opinion, that could happen," Demopoulos said. "I'm that afraid of it."

The "it" she's referring to is the construction project at the intersection of Broadway and Henderson Avenue, one that is being paid for by the city of Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri State University.

Since the project started May 5, business owners on Broadway say it has gobbled up valuable parking spaces, cut into profits and sent customers into the arms of their competitors.

"Any time you have construction near your business, it hurts," said Ralph Wille, owner of Wille's Bakery at 1215 Broadway. "When it's done, it will look real nice, but for the next few weeks, ouch."

Southeast plans to spend more than $1 million on campus improvements bordering Broadway. The nearly $482,000 in street work is part of a $2 million project to widen Broadway to four lanes from Perry Avenue to Houck Place.

The current job is still on schedule to be finished by mid-August, city and university officials say, but that's not soon enough for some business owners. Demopoulos said the project's digging has interfered with her business phone several days, even during peak lunch-hour times, when many customers call in pick-up orders. Those customers, she said, won't call back, instead opting to eat elsewhere.

"I'm losing $300 to $500 a day on some days," she said. "On the days I'm having the most problems, it's been rather costly. People are telling me to hang in there, that it will look nice. My answer always is, if I lose my business in the next couple months, I won't care how fabulous it looks."

Other business owners said they are seeing some loss of business, too, but maybe not to the extent that Demopoulos has.

"It's the biggest concern everybody along here has right now," said Ron Bohnert, who owns Pagliai's Pizza at 1129 Broadway. "We haven't been hurt too bad so far, but eventually we expect some business loss."

Meanwhile, university and city officials say that they are doing everything they can to minimize the damage and to keep business owners informed.

City spokeswoman Tracey Glenn said a public meeting was held in June 2004 so that business owners would know the work was coming.

The city has also initiated a newsletter that is hand-delivered to more than 25 business owners along Broadway. The letter keeps them up to date on the status of the project, Glenn said.

The city has also tried to work around businesses' schedules. For example, she said, when recent sewer work was done, it was done on a Monday, when Wille's Bakery and Imo's Pizza was closed.

Two-way traffic has also been kept open, she said, although it will soon have to go to one way.

City manager Doug Leslie said the city has worked hard to complete the project in a timely fashion.

"We appreciate the patience of the businesses along the project zone and understand their frustrations with traffic flow," he said. "... Broadway will be widened and improved and the Broadway-Henderson intersection will be reconfigured, making the area much safer."

Bill Dunn of Rhea Optical at 1105 Broadway said business owners just have to hang in there and their businesses may even draw more business after the work is done.

"You certainly could do much worse than being located at the front door of the university," he said.

Mark Dirnberger, owner of D'Ladium at 1127 Broadway, agreed.

"What's going on hasn't helped business," he said. "It's bad, especially over the summertime. But when it gets done, it will be a draw. Business will bounce back."