BUFFALO, N.Y. — Reports were made by Channel 2 earlier this week on updates about the Allen Street and Elmwood Avenue intersection construction project.
For yet another week, chain link fencing, road closure signs, and yellow tape line the intersection. It's causing huge strains on Buffalo's Allen Street culinary scene. Businesses are frustrated and speaking out.
Joe Machiques is one of them.
"I don't think it was a necessity," Machiques said, adding, "The opening to get to the street, you can barely fit a car through it, so if you don't come down here regularly, you see that opening, it just legit look like the street is shut down."
Machiques owns the Allentown Pizza on the corner of Elmwood Avenue and Allen Street. He's been there for 10 years.
He says the road closure was a punch to the gut.
"They've shut the intersection down three different times now. Coming out of COVID and just getting our feet back on the ground, and recovering this whole area slowly, and then this," Joe says.
The construction has cost him 20% in sales.
Heidi Jones owns The Intersection right behind Joe's restaurant. It's a coffee café spot.
"It's been closed down multiple times, and it has a real impact on the ability of our customers to get here," Jones said.
For the most part, business owners are excited to see the intersection reopening at the end of next week.
However, their next challenge is seeing business recover with College Street to Wadsworth closed for the final phase of the project. Jones also says more crime has entered the area.
Just last night, she had items stolen from her café.
"We decided that we're going to close an hour earlier because we have security concerns. We are experiencing threats of violence pretty regularly. Like I just mentioned, we had a case of oat milk stolen last night from right outside the door," Jones said.
Both Jones and Machiques have seen what happened with the closure of the Towne Restaurant this week, and they're afraid the same will happen to them.
However, money is foreseen in the future. In the last Common Council meeting, Buffalo's Common Council allocated $3.5 million in grants to support businesses across the city.
A representative from Councilman Mitch Nowakowski's office told 2 On Your Side the $3.5 million will be distributed even between districts. There's no timeline when that money will be handed out.