The road construction on Hazeltine Avenue and Baker Street has caused significant distress for Peter Weinreich, the franchise owner of the 7-Eleven convenience store located at 321 Hazeltine Ave. Weinreich expressed his frustration over the losses his business has suffered in the last two months due to the ongoing construction. The road construction project, which began on June 27 and is expected to be completed by the end of August, has resulted in a drastic decrease in store sales, with Weinreich estimating a loss of over $100,000.
According to Weinreich, the City Department of Public Works has blocked 66 percent of the streets leading to his business, leaving only the smallest street open with inadequate signage. This has led to confusion among customers, with some believing that all the businesses in the area are closed. The impact of the road construction on Weinreich’s business has been severe, with sales plummeting and the future of the store’s operations uncertain.
The road construction project, designed by city Public Works engineers and funded by Chautauqua County, aims to reshape the intersection near Persell Middle School from a ‘Y’ shape to a ‘T’ shape. This change is intended to improve traffic flow and safety by narrowing the intersection and forcing drivers to slow down when turning onto Hazeltine Avenue from Baker Street. While the project is expected to benefit the community in the long run, the immediate consequences for businesses like Weinreich’s 7-Eleven store have been detrimental.
Weinreich highlighted the growth his business had experienced in previous years, with sales exceeding $3 million in the previous year. However, since the start of the road construction, he has been forced to cut staffing hours to cope with the financial losses. Despite his efforts to adapt to the challenging circumstances, Weinreich expressed concerns about the survival of his business in the face of ongoing construction disruptions.
Efforts to reach out to Jamestown Department of Public Works acting Director Mark Roetzer, Jr. for comment on the situation have been unsuccessful at the time of writing. The impact of the road construction on local businesses like Weinreich’s 7-Eleven store serves as a reminder of the complex challenges faced by small business owners when infrastructure projects disrupt normal operations. As the construction project nears completion, the hope is that businesses like Weinreich’s can recover from the setbacks and continue to serve their communities.
