TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Merchants Seek Compensation

ADVERTISEMENT

By CHRISTIAN M. WADE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 19, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - It's been a tough year for Main Street's merchants.

The economy is bad, nearby strip malls continue to siphon customers from the city's downtown thoroughfare, and then there's the ongoing, problem-plagued drainage project.

Things have gotten so bad that some are asking for compensation from the city.

'We're just asking them to do the right thing,' said Peter Girouard, who owns a barbershop on Adams Street. 'Our businesses have been totally devastated by this project.'

The $2.17 million drainage work will end flooding downtown, city officials say, but retailers complain it has blocked the intersection of Adams and Main for the past six months, driving potential customers away.

Originally, the project was expected to be finished by the end of this month, but a series of recent setbacks have pushed the completion date back to the beginning of January.

Maria Restrepo, owner of Christina's Family Restaurant, also thinks the city should compensate her struggling business.

'Maybe they could give us a tax break,' she said. 'They should be helping us.'
City council members haven't ruled out the possibility of reparation for retailers who've been affected by the drainage project delays, but they haven't pledged it either.

Mayor Dan Tipton said he understands the plight of merchants but doesn't think they should be compensated. He said the project's delays are only part of the problem.

'I feel badly for them, but it's the economy that's causing a slowdown,' Tipton said.
Councilman Rob Marlowe, who owns a computer networking business downtown, said he doesn't know whether the city has money in this fiscal year's budget to compensate the retailers for their losses.

'I sympathize with the merchants,' he said. 'I just don't know what the city can do.'

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (727) 815-1082 or cwade@tampatrib.com

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT