Providence Small Businesses Take a Second Gut Punch With National Grid Tearing Up Retail Areas

Providence Small Businesses Take a Second Gut Punch With National Grid Tearing Up Retail Areas

If the coronavirus, the summer riots, a recession, and now the December partial closures weren’t enough, now National Grid has been blocking traffic, tearing up the street and sidewalks directly in front of dozens of retailers and small restaurants in Providence.

In an average year, the holiday season is a make or break time of survival for local retailers. This year is not an average year.

From the southern end of South Main Street straight through to North Main, a National Grid project has blocked off almost all public parking, ripped up the streets and closed off sidewalks, and the company has installed barriers.

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The impact has been nothing short of devastating for small business owners.

"This [road work] is supposed to go away soon. In the meantime, no one walked into the store today. I’ve literally seen the mailman and Fed Ex man, and that's it," said Todd Lattimore, the owner of Found Antiques, on Tuesday. "This is cuckoo crazy for cocoa puffs. There is literally a barrier on the sidewalk saying please use the other sidewalk — how are people supposed to get in my store?"

For the range of businesses — clothing, restaurant and antique shops, the virus has been devastating, but the impact the government-approved construction during the holiday season and the lack of concern by National Grid has been demoralizing.

“Even though our state and local government is allowing them to continually rip up our street...for the gazillionth time....we are open and have secured parking for you behind our building,” said Marc Streisand, the owner of the high-end clothier Marc Allen.

National Grid defends the timing of the project. "This is a mixed neighborhood of businesses and residents. In balancing the needs of both constituencies, we worked with the City of Providence and were granted permits for daytime work in most areas and for night work where businesses would be unduly disrupted. Additionally, our traffic and parking plans are reviewed by the city," said the company spokesperson Jennifer Bray.

 

Fighting for Survival From Virus to Riots to National Grid

This year has been an endless series of challenges for small businesses in Rhode Island, and independent local retailers and restaurants have taken the brunt of the challenges. Some estimates are that 50% of restaurants and independent retailers may not survive the carnage.

Julianna Fonseca of Geoff's Sandwiches, told GoLocal, “They started their work in front of us — they were there for a good 4 or 5 weeks. They definitely impacted our business, with the noise and the large barriers.”

“We heard from customers that they didn’t know we were open [during that time],” she said.

Lattimore says it has been one hit after another for small businesses. "For us, we were closed from March until August to the public, and we were also boarded up this summer due to the protests in the city," he said.

"It’s not good — I’ve been on the street, let's see, this is my third Christmas. Mind you, I get we’re in a difficult year for every business -- except for Staples, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc," he said. 

"The first thing that really hurt, is [National Grid] cut down those trees down the street. That was really the first impact, the physical street change," said Lattimore, of National Grid removing three mature trees on the street in June, to opposition. 

"Then came the jersey barriers — I call them barricades — it was in front of everyone. Now it’s directly in front of us," said Lattimore.

"The only people that have come in before this have been regulars," said Lattimore - who is the only business open on his block. "There is no one walking by. I usually have a rack outside, a tree, a vignette --  a chair, a bowl, something to let people know we're here."

Lattimore said his store's online component is what is enabling him to survive at this point. 

 

“We’re trying to take it day by day to stay open as long as we can”

National Grid claims it cannot delay the project until after the holidays and offered no apology or compensation to the businesses impacted.

"Despite associated parking restrictions, there remains parking along the project route - parking is still available nearby in most locations," said Grid's Bray, but GoLocal found that for the retailers at the North Main Street portion of the project, only a half dozen parking spots remain and more than 40 have been blocked off and restricted. The restrictions have been in place for nearly two months.

"[My displays] usually get people driving by and stopping, or walking by and coming in. Now, you can't walk here. You can’t park here. There’s no visual signal saying we’re open," said Lattimore.

"If this happened during a normal year, we could deal with this — but it feels like having been pushed and having your head held underwater," he added.

The same frustration is true for Geoff's sandwiches -- a Providence institution.

“They were originally supposed to do [the work] at night, but apparently, the residents complained, and the residents won out,” Fonseca said.

“We always take a hit in the winter — but with COVID and with the 'pause' — we’re definitely seeing a strong decrease in sales,” she added.  

“We’re trying to take it day by day to stay open as long as we can,” said Fonseca.