LRT Construction Impacts 2

Senor Wong restaurant invited me downtown St. Paul to see what is happening to their restaurant. The streets were closed for LRT construction and they are losing customers. I asked them to speak to University Ave businesses. Yesterday one of the owners came and spoke to University Avenue businesses at the UABA meeting.

Everyone was surprised at how badly Senor Wong is doing because of the construction. The owner said he stopped talking to Met Council because there's nothing they can do to help him. He's focused on running his business and don't have time. He said if the construction doesn't finish on time he will probably go out of business.

AEDA took these pictures of the construction:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43663461@N06/show/

When we went downtown to check out the construction we also went to Prada's Cafe. The owner wasn't there, but he wrote this letter to AEDA to share with everybody:

October 14, 2009

Prada’s Food Service LLC

111 Kellogg Blvd. Suite # 140

Saint Paul Mn., 55101

University Avenue business owners:

My name is Carlos Prada and I’m the owner of Prada’s Café in downtown St. Paul; we opened for business in April 20th this year.

When we opened we had many challenges like to getting organized, and we learned so much about the business. But we kept trying and did what we had to do to get this business ahead.

Everything was going well until light rail construction started some time in July. I knew the light rail was supposed to be built in the area but I did not know exactly where. If I had been told that the light rail will be right outside of the property where the café is I probably wouldn’t buy it.

Any way just want to share with you that the sales of my business went down between 40% to 50% since this project started. It’s unfortunate because when it’s completed it’s going to be great and supposed to help everybody as a transportation method, and hopefully help to generate more business opportunities.

Thanks for the opportunity to share my experience with you.

I think it’s great that you guys are organized and good luck to you all.

Regards

Carlos Prada

LRT Construction Impacts Downtown Businesses

The Met Council started the Central Corrdor light rail construction in downtown St. Paul. They are digging up the utilities to prepare for the LRT. Senor Wong restaurant in downtown invited SOBJ and AEDA (our biggest supporter) to see the impact on their business. We spent three hours at the construction site and talking to Senor Wong. They are located at 4th St and Robert. The streets are closed, for three months now. No parking on the street at all. They said they are lucky there's a parking ramp one block away or they be out of business by now. Everything is blocked off. The big construction machines digging everyday. You can't cross anywhere at 4th and Robert to get to Senor Wong. You can only get to Senor Wong if you go to Robert & Kellogg or 4th & Minnesota and walk one block to Senor Wong's door. The skyway is open so that's another way

The owners are angry. Their customers are not coming like they used to. They said probably up to 40% are staying away since construction started. We told them that's not surprising for us. we learned that from other cities. We are trying to do what we can to prepare the small businesses on University Avenue. They said Met Council or the city can't or won't do anything to help them. We asked Senor Wong to tell University Ave businesses about how they are impacted it would help them prepare for construction.

These pictures were taken by AEDA's director:

You can see more pictures here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43663461@N06/show/

Taking Met Council to Task

This article ran in Twin Cities Daily Planet on Sept 24:

Seeking fair compensation, not “handouts,” University Ave. businesses take Met Council to task

Some say we criticize Met Council for no reason, we don't know what we doing, light rail will be good for us. If that's true in four years my business and everybody else will be better off and we will all be happy. But we don't know what will happen. That's why we criticize the Met Council. They are not the only one we are taking to task. There's the city, and there's also the county. I have talked to the mayor, the city council person, and the county commissioner. They all say they support businesses and they don't want anybody to go out of business because of the light rail. They say they want to help but they don't commit to anything.

The Met Council they don't even pretend to want to help small businesses survive light rail. They say we will give you loan or marketing. How can that help me when costumers cant get into my business or I can't afford to stay on the avenue. The Met Council is against helping businesses make up for losing customers and sales when they dig up the street. They said that in the paper, it was Peter Bell or somebody working for him.

Peter Bell is not elected so he can do and say whatever he wants. The elected official will say things to please you but don't commit to anything. We business owners are taking all of them to task but they don't do anything. When light rail kick us out, they won't even miss us. They will have a shiny new light rail and other businesses to replace us. It will be mission accomplished for them.

The Straw

We visited about a dozen University Avenue businesses today. Met Council keeps telling business owners that light rail is going to do a world of good for them, bringing in more customers from near and far as if the light rail will magically improve everyone’s life. But businesses don't buy it. They are surprisingly realistic. They know what’s going on. They know the parking will be gone. They know they will have a tough time going through construction. They know their taxes will go up. They know when the light is built they might not be around. One thing they all know now business is down due to the bad economy. They are struggling. One restaurant owner said she could barely cover her rent last month. She asked if we knew a place where she could get a sign made cheaply to advertise her desserts. She doesn’t know how long she will last if business don’t pick up.

Another woman who has owned a large building of shops for 15 years and now that’s half vacant is losing the building to the bank. When the bank takes over, she don’t know what she will do. All the shops will close or move. She said the shops don’t want to stick around for the light rail.

A small restaurant that opened two years ago is closing. The owner is looking for a buyer. He said he’s got family to take care of. But he also said with the way business is, he doesn’t want to deal with what’s coming down the line (in the middle of the avenue). He wants to get out before his business goes under.

People think or wish light rail is going to do a miracle for businesses on University Avenue. It ain’t. These people don’t know anything about running a small business. They just need to talk to a business owner for 5 minutes about how things are. Nobody does that with them. Nobody. How are you? How’s your business doing? Could be better. Staying alive. Slow. Surviving, barely. Just ask and listen. They will learn that with the economy so bad, light rail will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Owners know this. They know their business like nobody’s business, they know what’s going on. They don’t believe the hype of light rail and the rosy picture painted by the Met Council.

History Repeating Itself

What we are asking for is fair compensation because light rail will affect our businesses negatively. We are asking for support to keep our businesses alive during construction and after. The Met Council calls this a handout.

Did you know this? The Met Council, which will build the LRT on University Avenue, will use tens of millions of dollars to help the U of M and Minnesota public radio, because of the effect of light rail. Are they more special then our businesses on University Avenue? Is that why they get support and we don't? So when the met council gave the fund to help them, did they call that a handout?

I was just wondering what they call it because obviously they say that they are not giving any businesses “handouts”.

So, again the point I made in my speech, are they trying to remove all of the small businesses on this part of university? So when we all go out of business during the construction, are they going to say that it just happens, they didn’t deliberately kick us out? That’s what happened to the old Rondo’s Black community, they got kicked out. The government came and moved everyone and just put a highway through where peoples’ home and businesses were, where they lived their whole life. As a minority business owner, I can understand how the Rondo people feel. Now are they trying to do that to me? It will be the same thing if I go out of business because of light rail. It makes me wonder how people can get away with this kind of thing. Just my thought!! – L.B.

Thank You to Our Supporters

I was sitting on University Avenue this afternoon and just felt so sick thinking about what is going to happen a year from now. Would businesses still be busy? Would there still be cars coming through and people stopping at local businesses? We all work so hard to accomplish what success we have. We made university what it is today. What will the future hold for us? Sometimes you just got to take a break, go out and sit on University Avenue somwhere and just observe. Supporters, the light rail could take it all away from us. I just feel so upset at times but I have to stay strong. I will not give up!! Thanks for your support!!

Fair and Just Compensation

The Met Council spokesperson Laura Baenen is quoted in MPR saying: "There's absolutely no money in the project budget for handouts, or to give people money," said Central Corridor spokeswoman Laura Baenen. "We're not doing it."

This is an insult, a slap in the face, for business owners. The Met Council must think business owners are stupid. Who is asking the Met Council for "handouts"? Do people who work for the Met Council, who are paid with tax dollars, understand the words "fair compensation?" Does Peter Bell, Met Council Chair, understand?

We are NOT asking for handouts from anybody. Least of all from the Met Council. We run our businesses with no help from nobody. What we gain, we worked hard for. Nobody gave me any handouts. We are doing fine without the Met Council. You think we going to depend on you for handouts? We didn't ask for the LRT. You going to shove it down our throats, drive away our customers. If my business will suffer because of their LRT, the least the Met Council could do is work with me in good faith to save my business.

This is how the Met Council deals with the business owners on University Avenue. Peter Bell lets his PR speaks for him, instead of getting out there and having real conversations with business owners about their concerns. If Met Council thinks all we want is handouts, they haven't been listening. Their PR strategy is to make us look like dumb asking for money for nothing. Well they look stupid, arrogant for saying that.