New Bohemia businesses seek to minimize impact of street construction project

Construction is set to begin soon on an extensive street construction project in the heart of the New Bohemia district in southeast Cedar Rapids, and area business owners are developing strategies to manage the impact of the project. The project, set to begin in April, involves a full reconstruction of 16th Avenue SE from Second to Fourth streets SE, as well as Third Street SE from 16th Avenue SE to the Sinclair Basin. It includes replacing water mains and storm sewers, installing new streetlights, and pouring new pavement, driveways and sidewalks through the project area. Construction leaders discussed the project with local business owners and managers March 26 at the monthly District Chat, hosted by The District: Czech Village and New Bohemia group at Ringer Golf. Most concerns about the street construction project centered on traffic and parking disruptions for merchants in the New Bohemia area, including businesses such as Bo Mac’s, Little Bohemia, the Ideal Theater, Kickstand, Mad Modern, The Shop and Tornado’s. Project manager Mitch Christensen of engineering firm Anderson Bogert outlined the phases and timeline of the project. The first phase, expected to begin around April 10, will involve water main replacement at the intersection of 16th Avenue and Third Street SE. The next phases will encompass reconstructing Third Street SE and its intersection with 16th Avenue. Thereafter, 16th Avenue SE will be rebuilt in two phases – one between Second and Third Streets SE, the other between Third and Fourth Streets SE – to minimize traffic disruptions. The final phase will involve replacing pedestrian crosswalks at 16th Avenue and Second Street SE. Detour routes will be posted as the project proceeds, and signage will indicate how local businesses can be accessed throughout the project. Construction leaders said they hope the project will wrap up by November. District executive director Jim Miller said he’s reached out to several area communities to learn how they’ve coped with major street projects in their central business districts, including Iowa City, which is currently in the midst of a significant reconstruction project on Dubuque Street. Uptown Marion Main Street director Brooke Prouty, who attended the meeting in The District this week, shared Marion’s experiences with a two-year streetscape project of its own. She said despite the disruptions, merchants were generally upbeat about the work because they felt the eventual outcome was worth the disruptions. In fact, she said, some Uptown Marion merchants even reported increases in business, as customers made a concerted effort to access businesses during the project. She encouraged merchants to help dispel negative perceptions about construction and its potential disruptive effects. “We did a lot of groundwork ahead of time,” she said. “The biggest impact came from businesses and their attitude toward the project. If we all work together to keep positive about this, we can come out of it not just surviving, (but thriving). Just say to your customers ‘we can really use your support right now during construction. It’s going to be great.’ That’s changing the narrative.” She also suggested businesses could offer construction specials or other incentives to help retain existing customers, and even add new ones, during the project.

Ann Poe, The District’s program manager and a Cedar Rapids City Council member, also noted city leaders are meeting with representatives of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance March 29 to stress the “shop local” mantra, especially in construction areas. “This is a broader issue than 16th Avenue,” Ms. Poe said. “We have hot spots all over our community that are going to be under construction this summer. So we need to be thinking outside the box in terms of how we communicate with our businesses and our community that our businesses are still open. Please get to them and spend money in those businesses.” Another public information meeting about the project will be held Thursday, April 18 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. Mr. Miller added that the end result of the project – improved streets and infrastructure in a key portion of New Bohemia – is ultimately worth the disruption it will bring in the short term. “We know it’s painful to get through this,” he said. “It’s a necessary evil. But we will do everything we can to say ‘yes, we are open. The District is not closed at all.’”