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Businesses die along Flagler Street as roadway construction drags on
Businesses are reporting losses of up to 60 percent
Another long-delayed streetscape project is wreaking havoc on nearby businesses.
As many as 50 stores and restaurants have closed along West Flagler Street in Little Havana amid major street reconstruction of the area between Southwest First Street from 27th Avenue to Second Avenue.
Business owners described the construction, which includes replacing the water main, drainage system, sidewalks and traffic lights, as “a disaster from hell” and “like a hurricane hit,” according to the Miami Herald.
Other projects, like the $13 million renovation and beautification of Flagler Street in downtown Miami and the Coral Gables streetscape improvements, have also seen big delays.
FDOT told the Miami Herald that construction of the north side of Flagler should be completed in January, at which point workers would begin on the south side. Businesses, meanwhile, are reporting losses of up to 60 percent, and owners are also claiming that they’re seeing very little construction.
“We don’t see nobody working for two days, five days. Sometimes they work for three hours and disappear,” said Jorge Villamil, owner of the Latin Liquor Store. [Miami Herald] – Katherine Kallergis