[Source: Jon Zimney, KTAR] — Light rail construction is coming to an end in downtown Phoenix, but some small business owners along the line have hit another bump. In addition to the years of construction, they’re now feeling the effects of the widespread economic downturn. Ide Flores owns Ide-Mania Hair Salon on Central Avenue. “We have had some heartache, our retail sales are drastically down and that’s lost revenue that you’re never, ever going to get back,” said Flores, who said she lost money last year for the first time in two decades.
“Our clientele is steady,” Flores said. “They do come in, but I can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard, ‘Oh, I love coming to the salon, I love being there, but I hate the construction. I’ll see you when the construction’s over.’ Well, that’s lost revenue, and we’re never going to be able to get that back.” Flores hopes light rail, scheduled to begin at the end of this year, will bring new customers to her shop, near Central and Clarendon.
With the first service nine months away, Hillary Foose with Metro Light Rail said workers are fielding more calls about schedules, stops and prices. “Being that Phoenix is a metropolitan city made up of a lot of transplants, a lot more people these days are more familiar with how mass transit works and the benefits of,” Foose said. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
Downtown Voices Coalition 