KVIG Informative

Charleston Boulevard construction has reduced Arts District storefronts to a single lane of visibility. Business owners say nobody asked them first.

Construction on a flood control project along Charleston Boulevard has narrowed traffic to a single lane in parts of the 18b Arts District, and business owners say the disruption is driving customers away during what is typically their busiest stretch of the year.

John Bender, owner of The Cornish Pasty, said lunch and dinner traffic have both declined since heavy machinery arrived, with revenue down roughly 20%. He said barriers placed directly in front of his storefront windows made the problem worse, and that better communication or signage from the start could have softened the impact.

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Bender said business owners were largely notified after construction plans were already finalized, leaving them without meaningful input into how or when the work would proceed.

Tony Chavez of the 18b Arts District Board said the prolonged construction poses a real financial threat to some neighboring businesses, particularly given the broader economic pressure many small storefronts are already under. He pointed to a lack of transparency from the city as a core part of the frustration.

City officials said the contractor is working as quickly as possible and has hired an outreach firm that meets with businesses and provides scheduling updates throughout the project.

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The Casino Center lane closure was expected to end Aug. 7, according to city officials, though no end date has been set for the Main Street closure. The broader Charleston Boulevard flood control project isn’t expected to wrap up until the third quarter of next year.

Flood control infrastructure protects the Arts District from a real and worsening risk. Whether the businesses currently losing a fifth of their revenue to build that protection survive long enough to benefit from it is a separate question the city’s timeline doesn’t answer.