Construction Pushing Businesses Out Of Norman

Another portion of Lindsey Street in Norman is closed completely for construction this week, and woes continue for the businesses there.

The block closed right now goes through OU's campus and work should be complete by the time students return from break, but this is supposed to be the busiest time of year for many businesses in the area. Instead, they say they are starting to reach a breaking point.

Almost a year into Norman's largest road construction project, vacancies are growing and revenues are shrinking.

“This is a $28.4 million project from Berry to 24^th Avenue,” pointed out Corkscrew Wine and Spirits owner Kathe Green. “I don’t know how much more it’s costing the merchants that are down here. I’ve paid my taxes faithfully all these years. My property taxes are not going down for what’s happened, but definitely my revenue has gone down.”

Green said New Year's Eve is normally the best day of the year for her liquor store, but her sales are down 30% on average and her neighbors are losing up to 60-percent.

Business owners agree the ODOT bridge project alone was bad enough before the city started working on the street itself.

“Once people got used to it they were much more apt to come down here,” said The International Pantry manager Kristen McCall, “and then they started the actual road construction, and that scared people.”

The Norman Chamber of Commerce has launched campaigns to encourage patrons to return to Lindsey Street. Most of the shops and restaurants, though, have started to rely on each other to stay afloat.

The International Pantry also uses its online presence to bolster in-store sales.

McCall said, “It’s weathering the storm. This is a massive, massive storm.”

With more businesses closing up shop on the strip, Green believes things will get worse before they get better. “If a lot of these businesses are vacated, it’s a great place for drug dealers to go behind,” she said. “That’s not what we want.”

Others, though, are optimistic about the future.

McCall said, “When it’s finished, it is going to be absolutely the most beautiful street in town.”

You can expect to see more art projects and pop-up shops as incentives to shop on Lindsey Street during construction. You can also stay up to date on road closures through the city's social media pages. Follow the city of Norman and Norman police on Twitter. Connect with businesses on the Lindsey Street Facebook page.