Above Watch: Small business owners along Somerled Avenue in NDG near Cavendish Boulevard are furious with the slow pace of construction on their trendy street. Tim Sargeant has more.
MONTREAL — Small business owners along Somerled Avenue in NDG near Cavendish Boulevard are furious with the slow pace of construction on their trendy street.
Shahidul Alam said he’s lost fifty per cent of his restaurant business because of the slow progress and the lack of parking on the street.
“Because of the construction, they are looking for another place that has more parking space,” the owner of Oregano’s Grill told Global News.
The city has contracted out work to repair water mains on the busy road but the job is at least one month behind schedule.
“It’s very bad for us.”
The work was supposed to be finished at the end of May but it won’t likely be completely until June.
“We’re going to lose the business if it continues like that,” he said.
Global News spent part of the day on site and only saw two people in the construction zone.
“I feel it’s disgusting, it shouldn’t be allowed,” one passerby told Global News.
Global News tried to reach out to Borough Mayor Russell Copeman and the city’s point man in charge of infrastructure, Lionel Perez, but never heard from either.
One city councillor promised to raise the issue about the slow work progress at the next city and borough council meetings.
“I can bring it up at city council and I will at our city council meeting next week,” Peter McQueen, city councillor representing the NDG district said.
“All I can do is apply the pressure like I do on all my dossiers.”
People living and working in the area complained that Montreal doesn’t appear to understand the sense of urgency needed to get the job done.
“When they don’t have any construction, they should remove the ‘No parking’ sign, so people can park there,” Alam said.
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