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Ottawa Citizen

‘Worse than COVID': Businesses say they are suffering through Bank Street construction

Business owners located along Bank Street are expressing concerns about sustaining their businesses throughout the street's three-year construction project. Article content Phase one of the Bank Street renewal project started in June 2024 and is expected to end sometime in 2027. A full road construction between Riverside Drive and Ledbury Avenue is taking place, including protected intersections, cycle tracks in both directions and new street features, such as trees and street lights. Article content Article content Article content But for the businesses located in plazas along the street, construction has been difficult. Large trucks thunder down the street every so often, cones are littered everywhere and the solid pavement has been turned into gravel. Article content As the owner of Moul Hanout, a North African restaurant, Fatiha Boutbaa says she has a very specific clientele that often travel quite a distance for their food. Article content 'Our specialty is really rare in Ottawa,' she said. Article content Boutbaa says the lack of access in to the plaza and the constant wait times discourage customers from heading down Bank Street. She recalled an instance where an Uber driver wouldn't turn down their street because of the construction. Article content 'We can't pay all these bills,' she said. 'We can't pay rent and expenses, it's very expensive.' Article content Article content Boutbaa says she worries about how she's going to pay her monthly rent to the landlord. In the beginning, she said she was excited about the landscaping changes of the projects and believed it would help bring in more business. Article content Article content Now, Boutbaa says she is thinking about closing her business, which is the main source of income for her family. Article content Article content 'We are just small businesses,' she said. 'We work very hard to build loyal customers.' Article content Morgan Taylor, the manager of cannabis store High Lite, said he's seen a decrease in the number of customers that walk into the store and has seen that reflected in sales numbers. Article content 'Our mornings are probably down a good 10 per cent,' he said. Article content High Lite has been on Bank Street for three years and has built a 'loyal customer base' but Taylor says they've been focused on surviving rather than 'thriving.' Article content 'As far as interactions with customers, that's gone down drastically,' he said. 'We have to find ways to get people in.' Article content