Merchants plead for help as Market Street construction limits access and customers

Roberta Khateen, a co‑owner of a shop at 350 Market Street, told the Clinton City Council that prolonged construction and blocked walkways are preventing customers from accessing downtown stores and hurting small businesses. Khateen said some customers “turn around and leave” when they encounter barricades or deep ditches and asked the council and city staff to visit downtown, provide signage and public support, and use city communications to direct shoppers back to Market Street. City staff member Roger (last name not specified) responded with a timeline and background. He said the project combines multiple grants awarded beginning in 2019 and 2020 and includes water, sewer and streets work as well as landscaping; he put the overall project cost for CUB Park, City Park and related infrastructure “a little over $10,000,000.” Roger said portions of the work are replacing nearly century‑old utilities and that some closures (including Cullum Street) were required when crews encountered unexpected connections. He said crews filled a hazardous ditch the same day it was reported and that the contractor returned quickly for emergency repairs. Roger gave a tentative construction schedule for Market Street and adjacent work: planter and light pole work began the week of his report; irrigation sleeves and base work were tentatively scheduled the week of Sept. 8; curb, sidewalk and steps work and block masonry were tentatively scheduled through mid‑October; and alleyway storm drain and fire line work was planned in September with an anticipated reopen window between Sept. 24 and Oct. 17. He said Main Street demolition and utility phases will run in six phases through Nov. 24, with detours and pedestrian routing planned. Khateen and other merchants raised several operational concerns that city staff acknowledged: inconsistent signage that sometimes shows “Road Closed” without clear pedestrian routing, lack of a consistent list of businesses’ hours, difficulties moving large stock because of planters or blocked alleys, and uncertainty about event locations during the festival season. Staff said the merchants association had requested that contractor crews close Market Street to speed work and that the alleyway was anticipated to be left until late in the work but was dug early because utilities required it. Staff also said the city had lent more than 100 pedestrian barricades and would coordinate signage, banners and app notifications (for residents who have signed up) to improve wayfinding. Khateen said many merchants are relying on weekend trade and highway billboard traffic; she asked council members and city staff to visit on Fridays and Saturdays and to encourage residents to shop downtown. The council did not take a formal vote on Market Street operations at the meeting. Staff said they will continue to coordinate with merchants, the contractor and the project architects and that individual problems reported to City Hall will be routed to the contractor for prompt repair.