Pastry Chef Bakery owners Petra and Karl Haus have been in business 56 years, but construction of the downtown district energy system may force them to close their doors.
Installation of underground pipes to carry hot water from Lakeland Mills to civic facilities downtown has meant the 300 block of George Street has been closed to traffic for two weeks - and parking and traffic in the area has been restricted for over three weeks.
Although businesses on George Street are accessible by sidewalk, there has been a significant drop in business, Petra Haus said. New streetlights are also being installed on the east side of George Street - further narrowing the access.
"We were told the whole project was supposed to take seven to 10 days," she said. "I've had to go to my bank manager to make sure my people get paid. Now I'm considering closing my doors - temporarily or permanently, I don't know."
Haus estimated her losses at over $7,500, based on normal sales over the last three months.
"That's not much for the city, but for me it's a lot of money," she said. "If it continues like this, I don't know what we'll do."
Even during the worst times the bakery has been able to pay its staff and bills, she said, but now it's struggling to pay its suppliers.
Haus said she's tried contacting city utilities manager Christy Brown at City Hall, but has not been called back.
"No phone calls get returned from the city," she said.
Retro shop owner Annette Savage said she's had to close her doors temporarily. Addicted to Retro and Funky Stuff has done business on Fourth Avenue for nine years.
"I shut it down a couple days ago. There is no customers coming in," Savage said. "Our customers have no place to park - they aren't coming downtown. I could lose this little business here."
Savage said the timing of the construction couldn't have been worse for her, as she is also working to open a second business in the area.
"The first day they worked here was the Saturday. That's our farmer's market day," she said.
Barbers on George barber Veronica Hight said customers are simply avoiding the area.
"I usually average $200-$300 a day. Yesterday my take-home was $20," Hight said. "I'm already panicking. I had to call my landlord and say I can't pay the rent."
Steve and Sons Shoe Shop owner Jerry Gauthreau said he's luckier than some of the other businesses on the block because he is on the corner and more accessible.
"I'm not at the point where nobody is coming in, but it's definitely down," Gauthreau said. "You can't get to the middle of the block with all the work going on some days."
Robyn's Woolgathering owner Robyn Bugara said September is normally when her business picks up after the summer lull.
"My September is worse than my August," Bugara said. "I had a lady phone and say she drove downtown, saw the construction, and when to another yarn store. That's just one person who called."
City utilities manager Christy Brown and project manager Bob Radloff could not be reached for comment as of press time.
