KIRKLAND, Wash. — Business owners in Downtown Kirkland say they are nervous and concerned about an upcoming construction project, which will fully closure a main intersection to cars for at least two months.
Starting April 1, an eight-week closure of the intersection of Lake Street and Kirkland Avenue is scheduled so that the city can do construction on the Lake Street Scramble project.
The eight-week closure was originally scheduled for last July and August, but the city pushed the project to this spring after businesses shared concerns over the project taking place during the busiest months of summer.
Although some businesses said they appreciate the city moving the date, they said the closure will still greatly impact all the businesses near the intersection. Some businesses fear it will be detrimental.
“I love Kirkland. Especially downtown across the water,” said Ozcan Saribas, the owner of Alanya Doner. “I'm on the corner and I love it.”
Saribas and his wife have had their Turkish restaurant in Downtown Kirkland for more than a decade. His business is on the corner of the intersection that's about to be fully closed for two months to motorists.
“We don't know what to do, because when they close the street, they're not going to visit us,” said Saribas. “I mean, we cannot get Uber, DoorDash, GrubHub.”
He said many people pull up and park to get food to go, but with the closure he fears he will be losing a significant amount of business. With the two-month intersection closure and construction continuing through December, according to the City’s website, he said the city needs to do more to help businesses negatively and financially impacted by their plans.
“If you’re closing the street, you are closing my business,” said Saribas. “They should have a plan or something for small businesses, especially family-owned businesses.”
“We know it's very impactful,” said Julie Underwood, Kirkland’s deputy city manager of operations. “But in our analysis and review, the eight-week closure was the least impactful.”
Underwood said they have listened to the community’s concerns, which is why they moved the project to this spring, rather than during last summer.
“Last year, we put it on hold because we heard from our community about constructing during the summer months and that not being the most ideal time for our downtown businesses, and our patrons, and our residents who want to enjoy the waterfront. So, we paused,” said Underwood.
She said this project is necessary for pedestrian safety and storm drain upgrades. She said they are trying to get the word out that businesses can still be accessed during construction.
“While the intersection will be closed for motorists, we will still maintain pedestrian access and business access,” said Underwood. “I'm hoping that, again, it's a small, small inconvenience for something that's going to be really well needed, and it's going to make a huge improvement to this intersection.”
The City of Kirkland said the Lake Street Scramble will improve downtown pedestrian safety and traffic flow. The City said it will allow pedestrians to cross the intersection in any direction when traffic is stopped. The City said it was also elevate the intersection and upgrade curb ramps and traffic signals.
Underwood said there would be signage up advertising that businesses are open, but businesses said that what they have received so far is inadequate.
“We were given these little eggs because the crosswalk is called the scramble and these little decals that are supposed to go in the window, which this tiny, no one's going to see this in our window, let alone with fences across it,” said Danica Connors, the manager at Herban Wellness. “This is completely ineffective, and tax dollars went to this. I appreciate the attempt to help, but this is not effective.”
Connors said she is grateful the city switched the closure from last summer to this spring but said every business will be impacted greatly. She said community support and more city support will be needed.
“It is critical for everybody to support everybody here,” said Connors.