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The owner of a tea shop in downtown Halifax is worried about yet another bout of construction outside his front door, and how that will affect his business.
Philip Holmans said it took a good year for the World Tea House on Argyle Street to recover from a major streetscape project in 2017. Now the city is replacing trench drains that were installed through that project.
“I’m not an expert on city infrastructure, but I’m pretty sure they should last more than nine years,” said Holmans.
Jake Fulton, a spokesperson for the municipality, said the drain system was expected to last at least 25 years, but it began showing wear and tear by the end of last fall.
He said its replacement will be “more robust” and encased in thicker concrete.
“We’re expecting quite a bit more life out of the replacement,” said Fulton.
Previous delays
Holmans was told the replacement work on Argyle Street will take four to five weeks, but he’s not convinced.
The $6-million streetscape project on Argyle and Grafton streets in 2017 was delayed by several weeks, and construction of the Nova Centre — located in the heart of that area — hit major delays before wrapping up that same year.
With the road torn up and fewer pedestrians in the area, the tea house saw up to a 75 per cent decline in revenue, forcing Holmans to take out loans just to pay rent during the five-month project.
“That was one of the worst times … it was insane,” Holmans said.
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Paul MacKinnon, CEO of the Halifax Downtown Business Commission, said he is cautiously optimistic about the timeline on the current construction project.
“HRM, and Dexter [Construction] have assured us that the time frame, which is about four to five weeks, that’s on the generous side. Hopefully they’ll be able to be done quicker than that. And it really shouldn’t cause any major disruptions to the businesses,” MacKinnon said.
While the construction means businesses will have to wait a bit longer to set up their outdoor patios, MacKinnon’s biggest concern is whether the public will choose to avoid the area because of the construction.
“Even though there’s some work happening, all the businesses are open,” he said.
The replacement project, which began on April 29, is costing the city $343,607.
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