Downtown Belleville business owners remain optimistic despite construction

Kathryn Brown, owner of Kate’s Kitchen, says she fully supports the Build Belleville initiative. Photo by Corey Jacobs.

By Corey Jacobs

BELLEVILLE – With Build Belleville construction in full swing, business owners are excited about the end result.

One such business is Kate’s Kitchen, a new gift shop that opened on July 27.

“I very purposely opened this business this year so that I would have an opportunity to build some clientele,” says owner Kathryn Brown.  One goal she says is to “get the customers to know that I’m here before the construction hits in phase two.”

Brown says she fully supports the Build Belleville project, which is in the first phase of three. The project plans to makeover the downtown infrastructure.

“The outcome will be really positive and that’s what we’re looking for,” she said.

The construction project has created detours that put heavy traffic on adjacent streets.

“As the traffic patterns change, and people can’t get in or out, you have very slow days,” Brown says. “We’re going to have some pain before we get the gain.”

Brown says she is supportive of the businesses who are in the thick of phase one. “I’m working with a lot of the other business owners around here in helping to promote each other,” Brown says.

Front Street businesses from Pinnacle Street to Victoria Avenue are slowly watching phase one construction.“We’re trying to work together as much as we can, knowing that we’re all going to be faced with the construction next year,” says Brown.

The heavy machines have even prompted clever marketing campaigns such as a construction sale. Brown says she has released products faster than anticipated just to give customers that little extra.

“The guys working the construction crew are trying to be as helpful as they possibly can,” Brown says. “I’ve actually had some of them come in and shop here.”

The first phase is expected to last seven weeks starting Sept. 14. The revitalization of downtown is set to complete some time in 2017.