MOORHEAD (KFGO/KVRR) – Business owners in Moorhead are expressing concerns and hopes for the future regarding closure of Center Avenue between 10th Street and 14th Street and the difficulty of access.
Adam Wiedman owns Starbird Lounge on Center Avenue in Moorhead. He says, even though he’s been aware of the street shutdown for underpass construction, it’s still been difficult figuring out logistics, like how delivery trucks will access the building.
Wiedman’s neighbor, Jill Johnson of Words to Live By bookstore, is even more concerned by the drop in customers she’s seen since the closure began.
“With the sign at the end of the street saying ‘Road Closed’, we have noticed that we don’t get any traffic,” Johnson said.
Johnson feels signage could be more clear, because it doesn’t indicate that her business is still technically accessible.
Sean Syverson of Swing Barrel Brewing Company has it a little easier. Customers can get to his business through a parking lot entrance off 8th Street N. Still Syverson knows the shutdown will still pose some difficulties.
“It certainly has its challenges,” Syverson said. “But it’s nothing we can’t get around, nothing we can’t work through.”
Syverson said he’s focused on the benefits for Moorhead once the project is complete – an optimistic outlook also shared by Wiedman.
“I think this is going to be fantastic for Moorhead as a whole,” said Wiedman. “Having Center Avenue be approachable, be walkable, not having cars flying by at seven thousand miles an hour with five lanes of traffic out here – I think it’s going to be fantastic.”
The City of Moorhead said it understands it is a challenging time, and it wants the business community to know the city is supporting them and hopes the community will continue to support them as well.
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