CORPUS CHRISTI, TX —
Small business owners along Alameda in Corpus Christi are bracing for a new road project that is set to begin November 4th and last for at least two years — and they're asking the community to stick with them through the disruption.
Marcus Lozano has owned his small business, Feathered Friends and Company, for 14 years. When a city employee walked into his office with documents for the new road project, he had flashbacks to the Everhart Road project, which wrapped up just a few months ago.
"As a small business owner in Corpus Christi I'm all for growth and development, I'm all for moving forward. I just can't help but remember what we went through for the past five years," Lozano said.
When Lozano got the announcement about the start date and timeline, he told me he's worried the construction may deter customers.
"I mean I have been that guy in the past before I was a business owner, 'Oh there's construction? Let me go somewhere else or let me go another way?'" Lozano said.
That's why I visited his store and four other small businesses to hear what they have to say about the construction.
At Eirinis Gyros and More, manager Ivy Loukanaris said the businesses want to make it worth the trip.
"We want to give you a good experience. Obviously it's going to not be fun getting through it. But once you come in you're going to forget about the chaos inside," Loukanaris said.
Saul Rodriguez, the owner of Doghouse, says he's been through this before.
"Uh oh here we go again. This is not my first rodeo. This happened like 15 years ago," Rodriguez said.
He also has a message for everyone driving on Alameda.
"Just be courteous to other drivers because there's going to be a lot of traffic, more traffic than usual," Rodriguez said.
Joseph Elizalde of Joseph's Lunch Box tells me he's confident his customers will find a way past the traffic cones.
"Corpus Christi... it's a support local theme around here. This Bayside area there's tons of mom and pop shops, restaurants. I think that they'll find a way in here," Elizalde said.
Others, like Cindy Neighbors, say road projects are just a part of life in Corpus.
"I mean almost anywhere you go in Corpus now there's construction. And it is annoying," Neighbors said.
But just like all the businesses on Alameda, she says she'll still be here to fill a need in her community.
"Suck it up and give us a shot!" Neighbors said with a chuckle.
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