While road work continues to be in progress along Avalon Boulevard, business owners recently shared their thoughts on how the lengthy project has left an impact on their business.
Although Al Grinde, owner of the Oval Office Pub and Grub, is appreciative of seeing the progress taking place along the roadway, he said it has come with a cost.
“Our customers are used to it, but they really don’t want to drive on Avalon, so it does hurt business a lot,” he said.
Grinde said the troublesome roadwork led to the closures to at a least a few other businesses along the roadway, including the Avalon Bowling Center and neighboring restaurant Captain Pete’s Oyster House.
Fortunately, Grinde said he is able to keep his restaurant open.
“It’s slower than what is should be, but we can stay in business out here,” he said.
Despite the negative impact on business, Grinde hopes the road work is completed adequately.
“Why do it wrong, when you have to come back out and come and do it again,” he said. “Might as well do it right.”
After previously being open for business at two prior locations along Avalon, Kim Wagner, the owner of the Blue Moon Lounge and Liquors, said the current location is ideal especially due to the road work.
“It hurt me more down there (closer to the I-10 interstate) then it has here, because you can at least crossover,” she said.
Although her business has only been open for a short amount of time at the new location, Wagner believes her business will do fine especially with a turning lane leading to San Blas Street, in which the business corners with Avalon.
“I really wanted to stay on Avalon,,” Wagner said. “There really is no competition, you have to go all of the way down to (Hwy.) 90 in order to get anything (liquor wise)…I am not far from the interstate, so I get the travelers.”
Like Grinde, Wagner said the road work continues to deter residents from traveling down Avalon. She said the Tom Thumb gas station, located near the I-10 exit, continues to be impacted due to the lack of a turning lane. Commuters traveling from U.S. Hwy. 90 on Avalon will often go to the Raceway gas station instead which is located on the other side of Avalon, she said.
Josh Cannon recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of his business Castaway Bait and Tackle LLC., located in a small shopping center off Avalon. Cannon regulaly sees traffic build up along the roadway as it converts from two lane traffic to one lane.
“(Whether) it’s first thing in the morning or 5 o’clock in the afternoon it gets backed up,” he said. “Coming this way (from the south) at 5 o’clock, it usually takes me about 20 minutes to get through (traffic).”
It also does not help for business to not having an adequate turning lane for traffic for incoming southbound traffic coming off the interstate. Southbound traffic has to take a u-turn at a light in order to enter the complex.
“90 percent of our customers have boats and we lose a lot of business because of that,” he said. “It’s difficult for me to make that turn because I drive a pretty big truck.”
Although it may not alleviate all of the concerns along Avalon, there is some progress to be seen along the roadway.
According to a recent press release from Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), commuters driving along Avalon should expect daytime lane closures on the roadway this week through Friday as work crews lay the final layer of asphalt on Avalon from Garcon Pointe Bridge to the south of Interstate 10. Although the completion dates can change due to weather, the press release states the six mile $1.7 million dollar project is expected to be completed in July.
Like Grinde, Wagner believes the project will be worth it once it is totally completed.
“It’s going to be real nice once it’s all done,” she said. “As an overall economic development, a four-lane road is going to be awesome.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: AvalonÂ’s slothful progress discussed by business owners