Main Street Merchants Say Lack of Signage During Road Construction Hurting Downtown Businesses

It's spring in Michigan, and that means road construction is underway. However, the plethora of orange barrels, barricades and construction crews on Main Street in Dexter have required merchants to work extra hard to draw customers to their business.

Since April 16, construction crews have been resurfacing Main Street between Jeffords and Baker roads as part of a capital improvement project. Due to the scope of the project, normal two-way traffic on Main Street between Alpine and Dover streets has been reduced to one-way traffic eastbound, with several side streets closed off.

"Detouring traffic has had significant impact on our business," co-owner Anne Kornow said during a merchant's meeting on Monday. "The first day of construction we saw a total of five customers, instead of the normal 15 or more we normally have. Each day the construction continues to have a significant impact."

Kornow said she understands the need for Main Street's repaving, however she would like to see more directional signage from the village directing customers to the downtown area.

"One of my friends came into town and she couldn't find her way into downtown because of all the street closures," Kornow said. "She doesn't mind going out of her way to get here if it's clear how to get to the downtown area and where she can park to walk around."

Abby Erickson Goldberg, executive director for the , said she felt more clarification from merchants on types of signage might be helpful for village officials.

"When you do come into town, there are signs that say turn here to get to here," Erickson Goldebrg said.

However resident Jamie Valen said she would like to see signs with direct verbiage directing people to downtown.

"If you don't know what you are looking for, there needs to be some pretty clear signage and right now I think the signs are bypassing people away from downtown," Valen said.

Peter Theocharakis, owner of said opening up Alpine Street would help customer traffic on the north side of Main Street.

Allison Bishop, community development director, said by mid-week construction on phase two of the project will begin and traffic will be shifted so that the north side of Main Street will be open to one-way traffic traveling east and the south side of Main Street will be closed. During phase two, Central Street will be closed at Main Street and Broad Street will be re-opened. The intersection at Baker and Main streets will be reopened so cars can continue east on Main Street.

"There's been so much damage already from cutting off the north side of Main Street completely," Andrea Theocharakis said. "A lot of customers complain because they can't get into our establishment. We need more signage telling people that businesses are open and here's how to get there. People don't like to go through those road closed signs.

"Alpine Street has to open up. To add insult to injury is the big mound of dirt in front of our businesses and allowing workers to park on Main Street but not for paying customers."

Some business owners expressed frustration with a lack of notice about the road project, however Bishop said the village mailed out notices to all building owners on Main Street weeks prior to the construction and also held an informational meeting for businesses in March.

"We do try to make effort effort to keep people informed, whether its on Facebook or through our weekly email notices," Bishop said, adding that Main Street hasn't been resurfaced since 1998. "Our plea to you, as merchants, is to glance through the Planning Commission and village council agenda on our website periodically. We've been talking about the Main Street project for more than a year."

In order to alleviate merchants' frustrations during future projects, Erickson Goldberg suggested that downtown business owners meet with the Dexter chamber and village officials quarterly.

"There are a lot of things people come to the chamber for when they need help, and we want to help them both from a chamber and village perspective, but also we want to help promote businesses," she said. "Being connected all the time is really going to prevent miscommunication from happening."

In the meantime, Teresa Whitley, owner of encouraged business owners to remain positive.

"All this negativity is filling the air and affecting our customers just as much as the construction project is," Whitley said. "Even if you aren't having the greatest day with the cash register, positive energy can go a long way."