The combination of construction on Commerce Street and closures on Elm and Main Streets have deiminated foot traffic, business owners say
DALLAS — The double whammy of city construction and police traffic restrictions is pushing Deep Ellum businesses to the brink, with some telling WFAA they have lost up to 60% of their revenue.
Mike Zeimer, who had planned to open a record store on Commerce Street, announced Tuesday he will not proceed with his business, at least for now, after prolonged street construction and challenging access to parking.
The City began doing construction on Commerce last year to improve the street, its sidewalks and drainage.
“I was foolish enough to think the construction would be done or away from us,” Zeimer said.
But it still isn’t. Zeimer has paid rent for 12 months and still has not been able to open, he said. The ongoing roadwork made his location commercially unviable, he told WFAA, as have several other area business owners.
The problems they face extend beyond construction. Local business owners are also battling a Dallas Police Department policy that closes Elm and Main Streets to traffic on weekends late at night, further hampering customer access.
Dan Murray, who owns the bar and restaurant Armoury, said at a Wednesday meeting with police that he’s seen a 50-60% drop in sales, which he attributes to the closures.
“It’s pretty disheartening,” Murray told WFAA. “These are small business owners.”
Specific challenges, according to several business owners, include:
- Patrons can’t find parking anywhere near their desired locations and stop coming
- Ride-share services simply cancel pickups because they can’t locate riders
- Police sirens deter potential customers
The police department says the closures help with crime prevention and public safety. One of the concerns, according to police who spoke at the meeting, is that if there is vehicle traffic allowed in all of the streets on weekend nights, congestion could make it difficult to access the area in the event of an emergency.
The City of Dallas has said it is working with businesses to minimize construction impacts, and the police department has also indicated it will at least review the street closure policy.
For Deep Ellum’s small business community, however, these promises might come too late.
“It just seems like we keep getting hit after hit, and the small guy can’t take that many hits,” Murray said.
