Businesses and residents in Marda Loop are tired of the chaos caused by prolonged construction work, saying the daily hustle and bustle has turned into a frustrating ordeal as the project to revamp public spaces drags on well past its deadline.
“It’s going to be great once its finished but it’s been a real pain in the meantime,” one resident said.
The city is warning significant work is happening next week — multiple streets and sidewalks will be shut down and parking will be limited.
Some residents and businesses have had enough.
“I lose lots of trust and confidence in the ability of the city to carry out its policies and duties,” another person told CityNews. “There’ll be crews around for a day or two and things go quiet for three or two days so I’m going — and everybody wonders that question — ‘Where did they go?’”
The project that was supposed to wrap up this summer has an extended deadline to summer 2025.
It started in 2023, and includes a redesign of public spaces to prioritize pedestrian traffic and improve safety and accessibility.
“You know all the utilities have been redone, there’s going to be great public space, great cycling routes, so this is a fabulous neighborhood — short term pain for long term gain,” one resident said. “I really try to support local businesses because its super tough on them.”
“It should end soon I hope, be nice to have it all open and finished.”
The never-ending construction seems to be testing everyone’s patience, especially business owners.’
Nicole Au owns a spa and lounge on 33 Avenue SW. She says revenue has dropped considerably and doesn’t know how long she will be able to hold on.
“I would say about 20, 30 per cent loss,” she said. “We have had to let go of staff because we don’t have enough clients coming in and we just don’t have the means.”
Despite a grant of $5,000 the city provided to businesses affected by construction, Au says it comes up short when the project keeps being delayed.
“We just want this done, everyone’s really tired of it,” she said.
Meanwhile, the city and business association are urging people to continue visiting, despite disruptions.