BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The owner of a barbershop on Main Street in Buffalo says a construction project is impacting his small business, with items blocking parking and customers struggling to access his shop.
Rick Bassett owns the Salty Dog Barbershop, and the construction is right on his doorstep. After surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, Bassett said the lengthy construction work is another challenge for his business.
"It just feels like another punch in the gut," Bassett said.
Funded through $54 million in federal dollars, the project involves tearing up Main Street to redo the train track to allow cars to share the road. It is scheduled for completion in 2028.
Bassett said he welcomes the long-term changes, but is upset at how the city is handling the process. He is not happy with the lack of signage directing pedestrians to access his business, with many mistakenly climbing through the construction site to get to the shop.
"No signs telling them where to go," Bassett said. "I would just love it if the city would move the staging area to not take up the parking down here. Parking's a big problem."
WATCH: 'A warzone over here': Main Street construction leaving small business owners frustrated with parking, access
Bassett called the city to ask for signage two weeks ago, but none has arrived.
Across the street, Crystal Shearer is unsure whether her business will survive the next two years of construction.
"It's like a warzone over here," Shearer said. "It's affecting me directly. My employees get paid. But anything I would take home, I'm a single mom of two kids; I need every dollar I can get."
The commissioner of the Department of Public Works, Nolan Skipper, addressed the concerns and acknowledged the project's "pain points" when it comes to parking.
"We understand there is an impact," Skipper said.
He told me signage is on the way and that the city is working to minimize disruption to parking.
"We had a contractor who wanted to do two blocks at once and take away a lot more parking. We've limited that. I understand that's still an impact, but we're trying to limit that to 8-10 spots at a time," Skipper said.
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