Businesses fear Campbell Avenue closure will shut them down

TROY, N.Y. ( NEWS10 ) — Road construction on a busy thoroughfare in Troy has some business owners up in arms over a loss of business. NEWS10 speaking with those who fear they may have to close their doors and the mayor on when to expect the project to be completed.

“We’ve been in business for 49 years so in the last five decades we’ve never had shelves this empty,” said Anthony DeMeo, owner of BOB DeMeo’s Discount Wine and Liquor. The liquor store is on Campbell Avenue, which has been shut down to through traffic from Vandenburgh to Donegal since June 10th. The project is said to improve drainage and add sidewalks. It created a detour bypassing multiple businesses and instead taking vehicles through a residential area. DeMeo says the road closure has critically reduced sales. “The 4th of July is typically a very busy holiday for us. A lot of spirits going out the door. This year we did like less than $300 in sales. The day proceeding July Fourth, typically that’s a day where we do several thousand dollars in business. After the last six to eight weeks of detours customers aren’t taking this route at all. They’re using alternate routes where there are no detours and far less traffic.”

In addition to the lack of customers, he tells NEWS10 Reporter James De La Fuente deliveries aren’t getting though because of the construction. “There are signs placed at either end of the construction, specifically say no trucks, no commercial traffic. My drivers for my wholesalers will not take the risk to go through those signs.”

Across the street, Lito Ronio with Ivy Nails and Spa says they too are at a loss of customers and income. “The store [is] completely dead. There is no customer like [there] used to, you know? When the mayor came here, [and] the parking lot is empty, and she already saw that. And I asked her for help, you know maybe [she] can help a little bit for rent,” said Ronio.

“The landlord has stated that he will talk to the tenants about that rent payment. So, my ask was, if you could delay that rent payment and help these folks get back on track. They’re taking a little bit of a hit,” said Troy Mayor, Carmella Mantello. She says the upgrades will improve the quality of life and mitigate seasonal flooding on Campbell Avenue that can shut the road down. “There’s been Band-Aids over the past 10 or 15 years basically not helping the situation. We’re doing it the right way. We’re putting a permanent fix, a million plus dollar job. It has lasted so far about three and a half weeks; we anticipate another 3 weeks.”

The owner of Franklin Terrace says he understands the concerns of other businesses, yet he agrees the work needs to be done. “My argument with these guys is, yes, they’re up in arms. They’re inconvenienced, the residents are mad because there’s truck traffic in their neighborhood. What are you going to do? This is progress. It’s got to get done and it’s a terrible inconvenience, but we will survive.” Anthony DeMeo says if the crews complete the project as the mayor said, in three weeks, they will make it. But survival after that is questionable.

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