Businesses: Orange Avenue road work hurting sales

Published: Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at 5:30 a.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at 6:04 a.m.

General Manager Latisa Baptist said business has plummeted 40-50 percent since road work began over the summer, and the fast food restaurant has been losing $700 to $900 per day since mid-August. She regularly fields calls from people wondering if the business is still open or confused about how to get past the ripped-up asphalt and heavy equipment.

The owner was threatening to close the doors, Baptist said. We didn't know it was going to hit the business like this.

Other businesses along the corridor say they've had the same nightmare, and they've been coming to city commission meetings since last month begging for help from City Hall and the contractor on the $19 million Orange Avenue overhaul that stretches to Beach Street.

After talking at an Oct. 1 meeting about loans or grants to help the businesses during the two-year project, a majority of city commissioners agreed what would be most feasible and truly help the businesses is speeding up work in the hard-hit section of Orange Avenue closest to Nova Road. Work in that stretch that runs between Nova Road and Caroline Street had been slated to wrap up by Dec. 15, but now will be put on pace to finish by Nov. 15, said Ron McLemore, deputy city manager of operations.

Expediting work in that area will cost $70,000, and the expense can be absorbed by the project's contingency fund, McLemore explained in a memo he sent to city commissioners and the mayor Friday. This week the contractor, Daytona-based Thad Con, started extending work hours Monday through Friday and will start working on Saturdays as well, McLemore said. There will be no night work with fears of hitting gas lines and other visibility problems, as well as the strong likelihood of noise after dark bothering people in nearby homes trying to relax and sleep.

City staff has also asked Thad Con to develop a proposal for speeding up the construction schedule between Caroline and Lockhart streets to help businesses in that area.

Over the next week, additional signs to help motorists find Orange Avenue businesses will be installed. Also, city staff is developing an advertising program using radio and print media to help businesses.

Those solutions, which will likely be the subject of discussion at Wednesday night's city commission meeting, might not sit well with businesses that have already asked the city for financial assistance.

I'm not getting any customers, said Eugenio Fernandez, owner of D Town Supermarket. I'm down $1,800 per day. This could kill my business.

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Businesses: Orange Avenue road work hurting sales