Local businesses react to construction on Rosemary Street

Jacqueline Britton, owner of Glenn’s Tailor Shop on East Rosemary Street, still has pictures on her phone of water flooding from the street and into her shop the week before Thanksgiving.

“When they were putting in pipes, all of the dirt and rock coming from the walls were washed down the street and blocked up the drainage all the way down the street,” she said.

A $1.6 million construction project to repave Rosemary Street, widen sidewalks, install new LED street lights and replace the gutters was supposed to end Nov. 23. The date was then pushed back to after Thanksgiving, with construction picking up again on Nov. 28.

Several local businesses on and around Rosemary Street have found the construction inconvenient, including Britton.

“Some days it was just awful. Some of my customers could not get in and out of my shop because of the sidewalk construction. Some days I worked and nobody even came,” she said.

Britton said she was given a memo toward the beginning of the summer outlining the construction plan and tentative end date, but it was not helpful because her business was still negatively impacted.

“The sidewalks had such big, large gaps in it. You would have had to be 20 feet tall to jump those sidewalks and get inside,” she said. “The city should accommodate everyone for lost wages.”

Mandey Brown, owner of both Imbibe Taproom and Zog’s Bar on Henderson Street, said she was not given prior notice before the construction started.

“I don’t think that the traffic is being directed very well and parking was blocked on Henderson Street,” she said. “That being said, I’m not angry about it. I get it.”

Construction is still in progress at the end of Rosemary Street, right outside TRU Deli & Wine. General Manager Joseph Pietrafesa said there have been a few minor inconveniences, but nothing too serious.

“It was fine during the summer because students were gone anyways,” he said. “I don’t think TRU is really hurt by parking issues but it is hard for people to get around outside. I know the noise and dust is something customers have mentioned.”

Pietrafesa believes the frequent moving of the construction to different spots along Rosemary Street has made it hard for TRU to receive deliveries and supplies.

“The only thing that really hurt was that some of our delivery trucks had trouble delivering stuff to us,” he said. “Our back entrance for coolers and stuff is in the back of Rosemary Street so they couldn’t park there like they normally do.”

Town officials have not released a specific end date for the construction yet. Chapel Hill Streets Supervisor Greg Ling said the majority of construction is finished, with just a few paving marks left.

For now, businesses affected are hopeful the construction will end soon.

“Once it’s done, it’ll be great,” Brown said. “I’m excited about all the changes on Rosemary Street, but I need better communication. It has sucked, but I understand why it needs to be done.”

city@dailytarheel.com