Months of construction along Lindsey Street have caused nearby businesses to decline.
Jeri Sieber, owner of Classic 50’s Drive-in, said she bought the restaurant in January and has seen at least a 30 to 40 percent drop in business.
"It was definitely a difficult time to buy,” Sieber said. “I-35 closed shortly after I bought it, but once the other bridge along Berry (Street) closed, they put us on an island.”
But Shawn O’Leary, Public Works director for the City of Norman, said the current construction and maintenance along Lindsey Street has been long-needed. He also said the ongoing Oklahoma Department of Transportation project on the bridge of Interstate 35 and Lindsey Street provided the right time to do those things.
“A compelling point for the project was that the state was already doing work on the road. So, we thought if we are ever going to do this project in the city, wouldn’t it be better to do it at the same time than to do two projects that would extend over three to four years,” O’Leary said. “I think that was the selling point for most voters (who) said it’s going to be tough, but we’ll go through it one time.”
Sieber said she and other business owners do not feel the same.
“I know (the city) thought, ‘Do we want it to be short and painful, or long and a little less painful?’” Sieber said. “I wasn’t there when this was being planned, but I think we are learning that maybe letting it drag out and letting it be less invasive over a longer period of time was probably a better way to go.”
The Lindsey Street Project was voted on in 2012 and set forth a plan to widen streets, improve drainage and create a more appealing view of the street, O’Leary said.
O’Leary said Norman recognizes the concerns of the businesses along Lindsey Street and that construction will be an issue for them until it is finished in late 2017, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“The city is doing everything it can to minimize the impact. I think when it’s done, it’s going to be something we are all really proud of,” O’Leary said. “In addition to cars and trucks, these projects are about other types of transportation, as well bikes, pedestrians, easier access for the disabled."
To combat the negative effects of the construction, merchants and the Norman Chamber of Commerce have started monthly meetings at Sooner Legends Restaurant to discuss ways to increase shopping traffic on Lindsey Street, said Jocelyn Wall, the owner of the International Pantry.
“The Norman Chamber of Commerce ... were initially those that helped us get the meetings going, and then the City of Norman has helped, as well,” Wall said. “We have an open phone line — we communicate.”
“We discuss ways to bring more people to Lindsey Street and how to engage everybody,” Wall said. “We thought of the ‘Use ‘em Don’t Lose ‘em’ T-shirts, and if you buy a shirt and wear it, you will get a discount in some stores.”
The ‘Use ‘em, Don’t Lose ‘em’ campaign is for local stores that have been affected by the construction and who want to promote the importance of patronizing local businesses, Wall said.
John Woods, president and CEO of the Norman Chamber of Commerce, said the meetings have been productive and the city was happy to help the merchants.
"We told them that we want to bring them all together and start meeting on a consistent basis and talk about the issues and to share ideas," Woods said. "And they, within those meetings, have come up with ideas such as discount sharing where they can all work together."
Woods said the construction will have definite benefits once it is completed, but it will take the residents of Norman to keep businesses around the area during this time.
“I think the biggest thing is communication to our residents and consumers to let them know what is happening,” Woods said. “It’s important that we will have, at the end of the process, a beautiful new overpass leading into Lindsey with better street access, bike lanes and walking paths, but what we don’t want to have happen is business storefronts that are empty and abandoned because we couldn’t support and didn’t support those businesses during this process.”
