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Businesses in downtown Waukesha forced to shut down, road construction blamed
Businesses in downtown Waukesha forced to shut down, road construction blamed
WAUKESHA -- Waukesha is getting a jump on construction season -- with Barstow Street shut down for water main work. But all the orange barrels are acting like red flags to downtown business owners.
This comes as 5Points Brew & Sweets is set to close at the end of the week.
"We were downtown here for the past two years," said Mark Knudsen, Chief Financial Officer for 5Points Brew & Sweets.
Knudsen made a decision to shutter the cafe -- and focus on his other business, Pop's Kettle Corn in Muskego.
"We're not closing because we're not making money. We are doing a great job with the revenue coming in," Knudsen said.
Mark Knudsen
Even so, at least three businesses around him have closed up shop in just the short time Knudsen has been there. Knudsen told FOX6 News downtown road construction has been ongoing for six years.
"Whenever customers start seeing barrels, people tend to avoid some of those areas," said Norm Bruce, President, Waukesha Downtown Business Association.
Out of the last ten business owners to leave the area, Bruce said all of them have cited road construction as a factor for their business failing.
Road construction in downtown Waukesha
As far back as 2016, the owners of Key Westconsin told FOX6 News construction was a big reason they closed. The latest project began last week on Barstow to replace water and sewer mains. There is hope when the dust settles -- Spring City will be in much better shape.
"We're not getting the pass-through traffic that we might have gotten through before," Bruce said.
Phase 1 of this latest construction project is not supposed to wrap up until the end of June. Then, of course, there is Phase 2 -- which will not be done until September. CLICK HERE for information on the entire project.
Statement from project engineer