Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
IN TONIGHT'S ECONOMY WATCH 10...
EARLIER THIS YEAR ... PARTS OF
MARGARET AVENUE IN TERRE
HAUTE WERE TORN UP FOR
CONSTRUCTION ... SOMETHING
NEARBY BUSINESSES SAY PUT THEM
IN A PINCH.
NOW THAT THE STREET HAS BEEN
OPEN AND SPRUCED UP ... WE
WANTED TO KNOW HOW THOSE
BUSINESSES WERE DOING?
NEWS 10'S JOE ASTROUSKI VISITED
THE NEIGHBORHOOD
TO FIND OUT.
" FOR MORE THAN A YEAR ... TERRE
HAUTE'S MARGARET
AVENUE LOOKED LIKE "THIS" ... AS
CREWS WIDENED THE ROAD,
ADDING NEW LANES, NEW SIDEWALKS
AND A NEW LOOK.
WHILE THE PROJECT WAS "GOOD"
NEWS FOR THE FUTURE ... IT
ALSO MEANT SOME LEAN TIMES FOR
NEARBY BUSINESS
LIKE SARGE'S SHOE REPAIR. "IT
MADE IT VERY HARD FOR
CUSTOMERS TO GET IN TO US,
ESPECIALLY WITH MY BUSINESS. A
LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE COME IN
AND GET THEIR SHOES FIXED.
FROM MARCH TO JULY, IT WAS
REALLY TOUGH."
LAST MONTH, THAT CONSTRUCTION
ENDED ... AND IN
THE WEEKS SINCE, CARS HAVE BEEN
FLOWING THROUGH THE STREET
AGAIN. AND AT ONE SHOP
THAT TRAFFIC IS BRINGING A FEW
MORE DOLLARS. "WE'RE STARTING
TO GET THE PEOPLE COMING BACK
NOW. IT'S TAKEN A LITTLE
TIME, BUT WE'RE GETTING
EVERYBODY BACK NOW. WE ARE
GETTING NEW PEOPLE AND NEW
CUSTOMERS ACTUALLY."
BRAD SMITH AT SARGE'S SAYS HIS
BUSINESS HAS IMPROVED TOO ...
THOUGH IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW MUCH
OF THAT BUSINESS IS
ROAD-DRIVEN. "NORMALLY, THIS
TIME OF YEAR,
WE'RE REAL BUSY ANYWAY, SO I
DON'T KNOW THAT THE ROAD
OPENING UP HELPED IT. BUT IT
DIDN'T HURT IT ANY."
BOTH BUSINESSES SAY THEY HOPE
THE UPGRADE TO THE
STREETS WILL "ALSO" BRING AN
UPGRADE TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
"IF WE COULD JUST, NOW THAT
WE'VE GOT A NICE ROAD DOWN HERE,
GET SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY A
DRAW THAT'S NOT A HOTEL OR A
RESTAURANT. SOMETHING THAT WE
CAN GET SOME JOBS.
AND THEY'VE BOTH GOT A REQUEST.
"WE ALL NEED YOUR SUPPORT,
ESPECIALLY THE SMALL
BUSINESSES. WE ALL NEED YOU
GUYS. SO COME AND CHECK US
OUT AND SUPPORT US." A REMINDER
THAT ... WHILE
THE STREET MAY BE OPEN ... SO
ARE THEY. ON MARGARET, WITH
PHOTOJOURNALIST GARY BRIAN,
JOE ASTROUSKI, NEWS 10. "
ONE RESTAURANT "NOT" IN THE PATH
OF CONSTRUCTION