As work crews slide into Phase III of streetscape and utility improvements on Broadway, businesses that have weathered the storm say they’re starting to warm up to new sidewalks and such. But it’s a tough gig, says Over the Moon Café owner Deanna Bender, who celebrates her eighth year in business next month.



The Broadway Limited Improvement District project got off to a rocky start. Well, a few of them, actually. People got fired. There were re-votes and angry property owners. It wasn’t nearly as pretty as carefully sculpted streetscapes emerging along Market Street, for example. When all is said and done, improvement on and around the main arterial will include sprucing along portions of Market Street and St. Helens Avenue between South Ninth and South Seventh Street, and portions of Broadway from South Ninth Street to North Second Street. Improvements will include utility upgrades, lighting upgrades, sidewalk repair and upgrades, and a number of other cosmetic improvements.



The double whammy of an imploding economy and a torn up street in front of her business has taken its toll on a number of businesses, including Over the Moon. Lack of parking, for the time being, means customers have to walk extra distance, often through gravel-strewn streets, to get their hands on some of Bender’s fine fare. But city officials have worked hard to help where they can. They converted one-hour parking spaces on Opera Alley — few as they may be — to two-hour spaces so customers could have leisurely dinners. Those kinds of efforts help in small ways. Not enough to make up for the overall impacts of nearby construction, but enough to help business owners feel a little less jaded.



“It’s hard to tell whether it’s the economy or the construction,” says Bender. “The bright note is that I’ve got some fabulous customers who continue to support me.”



Bender says that calls to the city manager’s office are taken seriously, and that she even received a visit from City Manager Eric Anderson. City project manager Steve Nichols, who’s in charge of this thing on the city’s end, has been nothing less than gracious and easy to work with. He even heads into Over the Moon for lunch on a weekly basis. Still, says Bender, lunches have been dismal, as are the lion’s share of dinners. She’s working on some spring and summer specials, made from local produce, some lighter dinner specials, and a short list of even-more-affordable-than-usual dishes for people on a strict budget.



Around the corner from Over the Moon, Dr. Aaron Toler says streetscape improvements and additional parking stalls are likely to be a boon for his business. Despite what he estimates to be a 10 to 15 percent drop in business during construction, Toler appreciates all the improvements. His business, Tacoma Chiropractic Health Center, has drawn a few new customers from the ranks of construction workers toiling along Market Street. Since construction ended, business has rapidly returned to normal.



“I thought I was going to be impacted a lot more than I really was,” he says.



City spokesperson Karrie Spitzer says Phase III of the overall project is now beginning and improvements are being made at a nice pace — ahead of schedule even. Now that some of the improvements are completed, local merchants, however battered they may be, are starting to see the vision take shape. Spitzer says she sympathizes with business owners who are struggling, and that city officials are prepared to do everything they can to help businesses affected by this next phase of construction.



“Everything is subject to change, but things are progressing nicely,” says Spitzer.