It’s been two months since crews shut down the busy intersection of Main Street and Broadway in Vancouver for subway construction, and some businesses don’t think they’ll be around when the road is set to reopen at the end of May.
Kamal Khinda owns Italia Bella Bar & Grill. He tells 1130 NewsRadio that construction and lack of access to parking have really complicated things.
“The road is blocked. The right is closed. The left is closed. People get puzzled, and finally they give up, and they go somewhere else,” said Khinda.
He says his restaurant’s bottom line has taken a major hit as sales have dropped off.
“We really need help… and I may not survive.”
Khinda admits he’s pulling money out of his own pocket to help keep his business afloat.
“How long am I going to have to pay? I don’t know. It’s just a really hard time. Especially for the employees. There aren’t enough people, and they’re not making enough tips, so they’re having a hard time too.”
He’s hoping for a rent break from the City of Vancouver until the closure ends.
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Matthew Greenwood, owner of Up in Smoke Cannabis Store, says he’s been relying on online sales to keep money coming in.
“Because the number of cars and people who are going east-west on Broadway is down to an absolute trickle. Most people have avoided Broadway altogether. It’s quite quiet, and it has very negatively affected our business,” said Greenwood.
He estimates that foot traffic is down more than 90 per cent in the area.
Greenwood tells 1130 NewsRadio it’s a different story on either side of Cambie Street.
“On the other side of Cambie, where the medical buildings are, it’s a bustling community. On the other side of Cambie, where we are, it’s full of vacancies, empty streets, not a lot of people and it’s slow. It’s very evident between Main and Cambie on Broadway, and it doesn’t take an economist to figure that out.”
He explains he’s not getting enough communication about what’s going on.
“All you’re looking for is some semblance of organization and structure so you can run your business around this massive infrastructure project.”
He says he would benefit from knowing where and when exactly construction will take place.
“There’s a general statement that says, ‘they’re going to be doing work.’ I would love to be treated like an adult who can receive information, digest it and make a strategy around it. Instead, I’m treated like a little child who doesn’t deserve any information.”
Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association (MVBIA) Executive Director Neil Wyles says some storefronts are barely hanging on and confirms some businesses have closed in just the last couple of weeks.
“It’s really heartbreaking to hear those things from these merchants who have viable, strong businesses, but they’re just not able to withstand going on six years of construction disruption this is causing.”
He says he still hopes the provincial government does something to help business owners.
“These poor folks are banging their head against the wall day after day. I think we should probably look to our provincial officials for some kind of revitalization,” Wyles told 1130 NewsRadio.
“These businesses are struggling, and yet we do nothing for them, and we’re spending all of this money going out to attract new businesses? We already have businesses. You’re just letting them struggle and die.”
Some within the MVBIA had floated the idea of an interest-free loan from the provincial government to compensate for the delays facing the project.
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Following a closed-door meeting with Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth, the province said no money would be doled out.
“Consistent with all ministry projects that improve British Columbia’s transportation infrastructure, the province does not provide compensation for disruptions arising from construction.”
The project has been delayed multiple times and has blown through its budget by at least $127 million. The subway is expected to open sometime in 2027.
The Ministry of Transportation previously told 1130 NewsRadio the temporary closure is necessary to rebuild the road at Mount Pleasant Station and reconnect the south sidewalk to Main Street.
Upon completion, the 5.7-kilometre extension of the Millennium Line, from VCC-Clark Station to Arbutus, is also expected to alleviate traffic on the road and get people out to UBC even faster.
The province says 700 metres will be elevated and five kilometres will be tunnelled below ground. The line will include six underground stations.
According to the ministry, the subway will save the average Broadway transit commuter up to 30 minutes a day.
—With files from David Nadalini