MONROE - Businesses on the north side of the Square will endure another two to three weeks of construction.
"We've pulled together, like a family," said Kookaburra's owner Laura Winters.
Retail store owners caught in the middle of 10th Street, between Amcore Bank and Monroe Medical Equipment, talk frequently, try to stay abreast of the construction situation and think more creatively, she said.
"It's a day-to-day thing," Winter said.
At Merle Norman, July business was down 25 percent, and down 38 percent compared to the same time last year, according to owner Danielle Rodebaugh.
She is hoping business comes back, "but I don't know of it will be enough to make up for the loss," Rodebaugh said.
Last weekend during the Fair on the Square, which was situated on the south side, Winter saw people come as far as Chocolate Temptation, but turn back south, rather than venture north into the construction area.
"I don't blame them," Winter said. "It looks scary. And families with little kids don't want to be jumping across trenches."
People coming to the Square were diverted on to 10th Street when construction began on the 17th Avenue and 10th Street intersection. Winters saw more customers then. But once construction started on 10th Street, people started moving around the Square, she said.
Heavy construction on the north side of the Square was expected to be done this week, but with the city's decision to remove steps up to the sidewalk, and replace them with stairs more friendly to those with disabilities, store owners are watching out for each other's customers.
"We called all our customers to let them know they could come in the back door," Linda Schmidt at Merle Norman Cosmetics said. Postcards were also sent.
At Zone Health Care, owner Lowell Stuessy sends notices to his clients every month, including information about the construction. He said he has been enjoying watching the construction going on outside his store and has heard no complaints from his customers.
His customers "live with" the construction, he said.
"They know it's going to be better (when it's done,)" Stuessy said. "It has been difficult for people to come in, with the gravel and steps problem," he admitted.
But stores on the north side have steps behind their buildings, down from the alley.
Winter said three people in wheel chairs had to be helped into stores earlier this week.
It was a challenge to get one wheelchair-bound customer into the store, Schmidt said
"Some people have come (to the Square), but have gone back home and called," she said.
Monroe Main Street Economic Restructuring Committee met Tuesday morning to discuss ideas to help those stores adversely affected by the construction, but no definite plans were instituted.
"The south side has Spring Square and the west has the ramp, but stores on the north side of the Square have no adjacent parking," committee member Bub Zwygart said, in an interview Tuesday afternoon.
"Stores on the Square are so different, not only in the products and services they offer, but in the budget they have available for advertising," he said.
With budget constraints, Monroe Main Street has no money to reimburse store owners for loss of business, he added.
Winters said her advertising budget was used up in pre-construction advertising, in anticipation of the street closure.
She has switched to using low or no-cost advertising, e-mailing her customers and using postcards to advertise her cooking classes. She has also paired up with Dairy Queen, offering customers a coupon for a free small cone when they come in.
The cooking classes were on her business plan, but she had moved the class dates up to bring in customers in the evening hours.
"In the evening, people come out, when it's quiet," she said.
Zwygart said some people get frustrated that construction crews work only four days a week. "But they work 10-12 hours a day," he said. "That works for their business. When people come in on Friday, (the crews) have already worked 40 hours."
Zwygart, Winters and Schmidt all said the extended construction work is not the fault of the crews, who have hit rock and unexpected problems in old infrastructure.
Zwygart believes the north side will be the "bright spot" in the Square with new lamps and pavement, once crews turn the corner and head south on the west side.
Winters sympathizes with the crews working in the heat each day, and offers them light-hearted comments.
"But I try to stay out of their way - it's kind of like their kitchen out there," she said, with a smile.
"We've pulled together, like a family," said Kookaburra's owner Laura Winters.
Retail store owners caught in the middle of 10th Street, between Amcore Bank and Monroe Medical Equipment, talk frequently, try to stay abreast of the construction situation and think more creatively, she said.
"It's a day-to-day thing," Winter said.
At Merle Norman, July business was down 25 percent, and down 38 percent compared to the same time last year, according to owner Danielle Rodebaugh.
She is hoping business comes back, "but I don't know of it will be enough to make up for the loss," Rodebaugh said.
Last weekend during the Fair on the Square, which was situated on the south side, Winter saw people come as far as Chocolate Temptation, but turn back south, rather than venture north into the construction area.
"I don't blame them," Winter said. "It looks scary. And families with little kids don't want to be jumping across trenches."
People coming to the Square were diverted on to 10th Street when construction began on the 17th Avenue and 10th Street intersection. Winters saw more customers then. But once construction started on 10th Street, people started moving around the Square, she said.
Heavy construction on the north side of the Square was expected to be done this week, but with the city's decision to remove steps up to the sidewalk, and replace them with stairs more friendly to those with disabilities, store owners are watching out for each other's customers.
"We called all our customers to let them know they could come in the back door," Linda Schmidt at Merle Norman Cosmetics said. Postcards were also sent.
At Zone Health Care, owner Lowell Stuessy sends notices to his clients every month, including information about the construction. He said he has been enjoying watching the construction going on outside his store and has heard no complaints from his customers.
His customers "live with" the construction, he said.
"They know it's going to be better (when it's done,)" Stuessy said. "It has been difficult for people to come in, with the gravel and steps problem," he admitted.
But stores on the north side have steps behind their buildings, down from the alley.
Winter said three people in wheel chairs had to be helped into stores earlier this week.
It was a challenge to get one wheelchair-bound customer into the store, Schmidt said
"Some people have come (to the Square), but have gone back home and called," she said.
Monroe Main Street Economic Restructuring Committee met Tuesday morning to discuss ideas to help those stores adversely affected by the construction, but no definite plans were instituted.
"The south side has Spring Square and the west has the ramp, but stores on the north side of the Square have no adjacent parking," committee member Bub Zwygart said, in an interview Tuesday afternoon.
"Stores on the Square are so different, not only in the products and services they offer, but in the budget they have available for advertising," he said.
With budget constraints, Monroe Main Street has no money to reimburse store owners for loss of business, he added.
Winters said her advertising budget was used up in pre-construction advertising, in anticipation of the street closure.
She has switched to using low or no-cost advertising, e-mailing her customers and using postcards to advertise her cooking classes. She has also paired up with Dairy Queen, offering customers a coupon for a free small cone when they come in.
The cooking classes were on her business plan, but she had moved the class dates up to bring in customers in the evening hours.
"In the evening, people come out, when it's quiet," she said.
Zwygart said some people get frustrated that construction crews work only four days a week. "But they work 10-12 hours a day," he said. "That works for their business. When people come in on Friday, (the crews) have already worked 40 hours."
Zwygart, Winters and Schmidt all said the extended construction work is not the fault of the crews, who have hit rock and unexpected problems in old infrastructure.
Zwygart believes the north side will be the "bright spot" in the Square with new lamps and pavement, once crews turn the corner and head south on the west side.
Winters sympathizes with the crews working in the heat each day, and offers them light-hearted comments.
"But I try to stay out of their way - it's kind of like their kitchen out there," she said, with a smile.