Published September 2002

Hewitt Ave. construction takes toll on business

By Diana Hefley
Herald Writer

EVERETT — Downtown business owners on the west end of Hewitt Avenue are worried about how they are going to survive a major construction project that has closed the street, just as those on the east side are starting to get back to normal.

“We don’t have any business anymore. I don’t know if we can stay open. We will wait two or three months after to see if we can stay,” Jagbir Singh, the owner of Sunrise Indian Cuisine, said, pointing to the empty tables during the usually bustling lunch hour.

To the east, the mood was better.

Gone are the mountains of dirt and the bobbing heads of construction workers scrambling in and out of ditches along Hewitt Avenue from Broadway to Oakes Avenue.

After more than two long months, business owners opened their doors Aug. 5 to a wide-open street. The city reopened Hewitt from Broadway to Oakes on Aug. 4 — a couple days ahead of schedule.

“Hallelujah. Business has picked up today,” said Diane Nakihei, owner of Bobby’s Hawaiian Style Restaurant.

Nakihei and other business owners along that strip of road endured 11 long weeks of waning profits, dirt and noise as crews replaced 100-year-old sewer and water lines ensnared by the roots of old trees.

The $9.5 million project, which stretches from Broadway to Rucker, also includes sewer work along Wetmore, wider sidewalks, new bus stop shelters and landscaping. The entire project, being done in two-block sections, is expected to be completed by the end of November.

But as one set of business owners was celebrating in early August, the mood was much darker among business owners at the other end of Hewitt between Colby and Rucker, who are facing another two months of construction.

The road has been closed since the beginning of July. Some proprietors have seen as much as an 80 percent drop in business, leaving them to wonder if there will be any customers at the end of September when their section of road is expected to reopen.

Some businesses along those two blocks have opted to close their doors during the work. Parking is nonexistent, and there is only a 2-foot-wide gravel path running the length of the street. The noise and dust also make for bad business.

Bob Trosper, who has owned REL Stamp and Coin Co. for 40 years, closed his small shop at the first sign of backhoes and flaggers.

“It’s not worth it. It’s too much of a hassle, and no one is making an attempt to come in,” he said.

Trosper comes in periodically to check the mail, answer calls from regular customers and get the bills.

“Those keep coming in,” he said.

While some business owners were shaking off the dirt, more owners along Hewitt were bracing for it as the city planned to close Hewitt between Wetmore and Colby on Aug. 12 — a week ahead of schedule.

Tammy and Larry Lehtonen, who own Taco Del Mar at the corner of Hewitt and Rockefeller Avenue, were concerned the closures in front of their business would mean an even greater decline in profits. They have been beefing up their catering and delivery services in preparation for the disruptions. They’re even offering discounts to customers who have dirty shoes from slogging through the mess.

To help Taco Del Mar and other restaurants, the Downtown Everett Action Committee is putting together a restaurant guide to highlight those eateries still open during construction, along with fliers and posters around the area.

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