Elgin Street businesses feeling the pinch 6 months into road closure

Shopkeepers and restaurateurs along Elgin Street are reporting a noticeable decline in business since a long stretch of the street was closed to traffic in January.

Samuel Eyamie, co-owner of The Fox & Feather Pub and Grill, estimates business is down about 30 per cent.

"It hasn't been great at all, that's for sure. It's deterred a lot of patrons," he said.

Elgin Street has been under construction since early 2018, part of a $36-million streetscaping project.

Partial closures began in March 2018, but the work ramped up this January. Most of the previously bustling commercial strip is now off limits to all but construction vehicles.

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"This was the worst Canada Day ever," said Eyamie, who also lost out on business during Ottawa Race Weekend and the Tulip Festival — normally times of plenty for Elgin Street's shops and eateries.

Eyamie said he's had to reduce his staff in recent months.

"In lean times you got to be lean," he said.

The Fox & Feather isn't the only business feeling the pinch. 

Danny Byrne, owner of The Cross on Elgin pub, said he's also seen a 30 per cent decline in walk-in business, but has been able to make up some of the loss by hosting trivia and karaoke nights.

The Bridgehead coffee shop at the corner of Elgin and MacLaren streets has started closing at 6 p.m. due to lack of customers in the evening.

Minoo Banaei, owner of Bel Fiore Flowers & Collectibles, said she's seen business drop, too, but is also concerned about garbage: most of the trash bins along Elgin have been removed, and litter now lines the street.

"It's not helping anyone in general when you come every morning and see all this garbage," she said.

During the Tulip Festival, Banei said tourists asked if they could toss their garbage into her bin because they couldn't find one on the street.

Businesses along Elgin Street have joined forces to create a campaign called I Dig Elgin in an effort to attract more customers.

The campaign, led by Christa Blaszczyk from Elgin Street businesses The Gifted Type and Boogie + Birdie, has focused on highlighting events and store promotions on social media.

"If you want to see businesses here after the renewal project, you have to support them through the renewal project," Blaszczyk said.

The city said most of the construction should be complete by December, with some partial road closures carrying over into next spring.