Company working on Streetscape Project says waterline testing
may cause another setback
Gilroy – It is no secret that business owners are frustrated with downtown construction. But those frustrations have hit a new high since the construction company working on the project said at a recent city meeting that streets may not open until September.
Word that a month delay could extend the downtown improvement project into September has already-frustrated business owners steaming, and the city scrambling to keep the contractor moving. The Streetscape Project, meant to revitalize downtown Gilroy, may see another delay due to a setback in testing the waterline, officials said.
Golden Bay Construction, general contractor for the $4.1-million project, told city officials at a July 5 meeting that they would not be able to meet the August deadline the city had laid out.
Sue Shalit, owner of Sue’s Coffee Roasting Company at Fifth and Monterey streets, and other business owners can’t believe it. Why, they asked, are construction crews quitting work at 3pm when they’re behind schedule and there’s plenty of light and time left in the day.
“The construction company needs to hustle,” Shalit said. “I know it costs money, but it’s costing (the businesses) money.”
Armando Yassin, owner of Video Discoteca Armando’s Electronics on Monterey between Fourth and Fifth streets, said he is considering suing the city due to the negative effect of the construction on his business.
“We can’t do anything, we can’t open a business in another place,” he said. “I feel stuck with no way out.”
Bill Ganson, owner of Hampton Court Antiques located at the corner of Fifth and Monterey streets, said he’s trying to keep a positive attitude because he doesn’t want to get himself down. Ganson said though, that no one from the city has come in to find out how the businesses are doing.
The merchants feel like the city doesn’t give a damn about them, he said. “I’m surprised the city hasn’t offered to reimburse the businesses in any way, shape or form.”
Ganson said his landlord has empathized, lowering the rent by 10 percent until the construction is done.
Don Dey, city transportation engineer and Streetscape project manager, acknowledged that the construction company has been working on a schedule of 7am to 3pm Monday through Friday. Dey said, under city noise ordinance rules, construction could continue until 7pm on weekdays and also extended on Saturdays from 9am to 7pm.
Dey said the city is in negotiation with Golden Bay to see if they will work longer or start working on Saturdays. But Dey said the city cannot force the construction company to do anything less or more with the time they put in.
“As long as they meet the contract schedule they’ve met their contract requirement,” Dey said. But when it comes to the September date the company proposed Dey said, “We told them the time-frame was unacceptable because they needed to keep the project on schedule.”
Although Dey said the city is doing what it can to keep the project moving forward some business owners are questioning the truth behind it. Dey said the city has done what it can for the businesses by trying to help them arrange loans and putting in $75,000 worth of marketing for the downtown businesses.
“It’s not part of the construction process to pay for their business expenses,” Dey said.
Dave Peoples, head of the Gilroy Downtown Business Association and owner of Nimble Thimble, said he would love to see the construction go faster because it has affected his business. But he added that the upgrades are needed and the business owners need to keep a positive attitude and try to get through the next few months.
“Where would we be if we didn’t get the upgrades on the streets and the lights and such?” Peoples said. “I’ll tell you where we’d be – we would be in the dumper.”
