Local businesses struggling due to Broadway Street construction

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A major facelift is underway in Toledo’s Old South End. Part of Broadway Street is closed to traffic and that’s causing problems for some local businesses.

The section of Broadway is one way. You can only go down Broadway toward downtown Toledo. But there are businesses on the other side of the lane who say they are struggling due to the construction closure.

“It’s an adjustment, it’s a change,” said Jonathan Ruiz, manager/co-owner of La Paloma.

Both drivers and businesses are navigating the new traffic pattern along Broadway Street. It’s down to one lane from Stebbins to Western.

“It’s impacted it, yeah, we’ve had a loss, we’ve lost quite a bit, especially during the week,” said Ruiz.

The store and bakery of La Paloma are right in the middle of the construction, making it difficult for customers and delivery drivers.

“My trucks are having trouble getting in. I can’t get deliveries,” said Ruiz. “That’s another thing, I have deliveries coming up and as of right now, we don’t know where they’re going to deliver. They can’t make it around here to the front, but it’s too sharp of a turn to get them out through the alley, so we’re gonna have to cross that bridge when we come to it. But that is a concern how we’ll continue getting that.”

Ruiz has a parking lot and sidewalk in front of his business, but that’s not the case for everyone.

“It’s disrupted all of the traffic that we usually get into the gallery. At this time, we’re showing our spring exhibition, which is a free exhibition, and it’s really disrupted parking and traffic and the neighborhood,” said Jessica Vallejo, marketing and community outreach coordinator for Sofia Quintero Art and Culture Center.

And that disruption is expected to last for months.

“We’ve been told that the duration of this project could last all the way to and after Thanksgiving through November,” said Vallejo. “So for the remainder of the year, on into the coming school year, we know that this will also disrupt potentially the school pattern traffic for Escuela Smart, all of the businesses that usually depend on the relationships here in the community for Hispanic Heritage Month that will also take place in September and October.”

Both businesses are hopeful that despite the struggles now, the construction will pay off.

“We know that the long-term is going to be beautiful. The gain and the end result is going to be amazing for the community. It’s the short-term sort of painful process that we’re experiencing that is really just going to need to be supported by the community,” said Vallejo.

The construction is expected to be finished by November 2024.

Another thing to keep in mind for those heading downtown over the next couple of days for holiday festivities is that you can only head down Broadway to get downtown, but will have to find an alternate route for the way back.

This is just something to keep in mind as you plan your day.

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