H Street Construction Continues
23 11 2009We have heard about the problems the construction along H Street has been causing for local businesses, and it looks like the work is still having an effect. The work is to install trolley tracks from the intersection of Oklahoma Avenue and Benning Road along H Street to Union Station and unfortunately won’t be finished until July 2011.
[Photo: M. V. Jantzen]
Long view people, its the long view. It will be rough for business owners for a while as they build the tracks in front of their businesses. But the streetcars will likely bring a nice bump in business when its all said and done. Let’s not go bashing construction of infrastructure that we’re all eager to see.
Fenty has announced that the section from 15th St. to Benning road will be complete by the end of 2009. We’ll see.
Come to think of it- why is this post even here? It links to a local Fox story from March. It would be better to do a story on the progress over the past 8 months, which is significant.
A frind took this pic last week: http://www.facebook.com/search/?init=quick&q=Search#/photo.php?pid=3090214&id=653186924
The progress is significant Tom, but it seems the point is that even after 8 months the construction is still causing problems for businesses, not to mention pedestrian (yours truly included).
Sure, dano, the streetcars and infrastructure work “will likely bring a nice bump in business when its all said and done,” but the immediate problem for the small business owners along the H Street Corridor is SURVIVAL now.
The only thing that Tommy Wells is willing to do for them is allow them to pay their property taxes later, assuming that they have the money after the drop in gross receipts during construction. They’re losing business that they won’t make up.
Then Wells proposes DC Council legislation forgiving millions of dollars in property taxes over five to ten years for Hilton Gardens and Steuart Development.
After he told the H Street merchants that the city couldn’t afford to forgive their much smaller tax bills for about two years?????
Let’s hope that they’re still there to enjoy the new streetscape and streetcars.
I’d like to hear from some merchants that have been hurt by the construction. And from people who stoped going to H Street businesses because of this construction.
How many new businesses have BEGUN in 2009 in the midst of all this construction? I can think of at least 10 new businesses that opened in 2009- a cell phone stores, a few bars and many restaurants!
[…] all the construction going on outside along H Street lately, it’s easy to miss all of the developments going on inside the buildings which line the […]