Extended construction at Marda Loop creates additional financial concerns among businesses

Marda Loop business owners are concerned about lost revenue after the City of Calgary expects construction in the area to take months longer than planned.

Renovations on 33rd and 34th avenues are expected to be completed by the end of this year.

It is now expected to continue until the summer of 2025.

“I think businesses are just trying to turn their heads,” said Bob van Wegen, president of the Marda Loop BIA.

“I think the biggest thing is the communication… Businesses were told that construction would be finished at Marda Loop by the end of this year, but we accepted that it would be another six months.”

The project area extends from Crowchild Trail SW at 33rd Avenue to 19th Street and from Crowchild Trail at 34th Avenue to 18th Street.

Substantial completion of the 33rd Avenue portion of the project is expected by late summer 2024, according to the city.

Sections of 33rd and 34th avenues east of 22nd Street will be open to one-way traffic only until August.

There will be no parking on 22nd Street between 33rd and 34th Avenues until April 23rd, and there will be alternating sidewalk closures in the area.

Grants are a drop in the bucket: business owners

The news of the extended construction won't go down well with several business owners and operators, now that the city has offered a $5,000 grant to offset some of their costs.

The lump sum has been approved by council for businesses in one urban development block in Marda Loop and Bridgeland and will be paid sometime in the second quarter of this year.

It includes 146 businesses in the Marda Loop and 82 in Bridgeland, representing more than $1.1 million in potential city subsidies through the Main Streets Capital program.

“That doesn't even cover the expenses from last month's income. Not even close,” said Lachlin Muir, General Manager of Distilled Bar and Social House.

“It's helpful to know that the city is going to come in and try to facilitate some of this and lend a hand, but we're not just looking for grants. We also want to take a look at the construction progress and get some more. communication”.

Muir said his business has had to lay off employees and several of his customers often miss appointments due to the lack of available parking and traffic congestion.

“You can't lose month after month. This is an impossible option for anything,” he said.

“We still have a lot of payroll, our rent is very high. … We have on-time payments, so if I were to give you a timeline, we might have a year left. the kind of task we have to go through.'

Boogie's Burgers on 33rd Avenue saw its revenue drop 20 percent in the first few months of 2024.

General Manager Brent De Decker says the number of pedestrians in the area has dropped significantly.

“It would be nice if we could show some more support for how high our property taxes are,” he said.

“With the low numbers, no foot traffic and no parking, it would be a big thing for businesses to have help in the area. Just keeping businesses informed and letting us know what you're doing with a clearer, more succinct plan helps a lot.”

The city is working to reduce anxiety

Graham Guerillo, manager of infrastructure services for community business liaison with the City of Calgary, says his team works to interact with businesses and provide regular updates to help them stay informed about the status of construction.

He says there are also tactics to help support businesses.

“One good example was on 33rd Avenue, where we added the parking signs we put up on Marda Loop to indicate where parking is available during construction,” Gerillo said.

“Because now we have two-way streets being replaced with one-way streets. The signs are not well-oriented for Calgarians, so we saw that problem this year. The moment we put the signs up, cars were parking and customers were able to access their businesses.”

Guerillo says one of the main reasons for extending construction to 2025 is to help mitigate some of the impact of future construction on businesses.

“This gateway at 33rd Avenue … will be completed by the end of this summer,” he said.

“Then we as a city will begin working with the business improvement zone to make sure most of Marda Loop is reopened for business and encourage Calgarians to support the businesses and experience the new streetscape.”

The city says its Main Streets project focuses on attracting visitors and prioritizing the pedestrian experience.

It will include a wider sidewalk, new lights, benches and bike lanes along 33rd and 34th avenues.

Curb extensions or “bumps” at intersections are intended to shorten and make pedestrian paths safer.