MARYSVILLE, MI — For six years, Yum Yum’s sat in the shopping district labeled Market Square at 1150 Gratiot Blvd., a locally owned Marysville restaurant that served sandwiches, salads and cupcakes.
It was a successful business, but at the end of June owner Antoinette McWain made the difficult decision to close the Marysville location.
“People are avoiding the area because of the difficulty navigating the construction (on Gratiot Boulevard),” McWain explained in a Facebook post announcing the closure. “Our sales have dropped by approximately 60%, and we’ve received multiple, often conflicting, completion dates for the road construction—some extending as far out as October. As much as we’ve tried to hang on, we simply cannot continue paying 100% of our expenses with only 40% of our normal income.”
Yum Yum’s will continue to operate as a food truck, with a location crammed into what office space she could spare at her other business, A-1 Computers, at its location in St. Clair at the Riverside Plaza
A-1 Computers also had a location in Marysville’s Market Square, but McWain had always planned to move it to St. Clair. The business moved from St. Clair to Marysville in 2023 due to roof damage that was only recently repaired. However, she said A-1 Computers had seen a similar decline in business during the Gratiot construction.
“The traffic there was just nothing,” McWain said.
McWain’s frustration was echoed by many other owners when asked how their business has been affected since construction began on Gratiot Boulevard.
The Michigan Department of Transportation began the $1.5 million construction project in April, aiming to improve the smoothness of the road by patching the concrete, sealing joints and improving the sidewalks. During phase one traffic was limited to the inner lanes, while the ongoing phase two has left drivers with access only to the outer lanes.
An estimate posted to the Michigan Department of Transportation’s website stated the construction was expected to last through October. On Monday, July 13, MDOT Construction Engineer Craig Innis said the project is now expected to end in early August.
Caitlyn French, media representative for the Bay Region for MDOT, said the engineering team was able to shave off two months by alternating how it handled traffic. Originally the plan was to work on one side of the road, then the other. Instead the construction team worked on the outer lanes first, then the inner lanes, a change that French said saved time because the team did not have to adjust street lights to direct traffic.
Spresa Cubi, who co-owns the diner Ocean Breeze at 925 Gratiot Blvd. with her husband Pjeter Cubi, said their restaurant has seen a drastic decline in business. Lunch hours now see a few customers where the restaurant was once packed.
“We are getting feedback that it’s hard to get in here,” Spresa Cubi said. “It would have been nice if the city was a little more prepared or gave us a heads up.”
Many business owners said they have had little to no communication from the city or the transportation department. Spresa Cubi said her business had reached out to the city and was told there would be efforts to make it easier for driver’s to make turns into parking lots.
The Times Herald reached out to Marysville City Manager Quentin Bishop and Mayor Kathy Hayman, but did not receive a response at time of publishing.
Innis said the transportation department had reached out to city officials before construction began and had contacted local school districts, but said the department does not contact each individual business for projects.
Several business owners said the placement of cones had made it confusing where cars can and cannot turn during the construction. Customers have been more focused on navigating the construction and are less likely to stop, assuming they don’t take an alternative route altogether.
Others expressed frustration that the entire boulevard was cut off even when they see workers focusing on one location.
“There’s no point having a street blocked off when they’re working three blocks down,” Carolyn Jackson, an employee at Too Little Time, a used book store at 1305 Gratiot Blvd., said.
Sal Dado, owner of Walsh’s Party Store, said he had no doubt the construction was necessary. His business, like so many others, has still taken a hit, but he was also concerned about potholes forming on the road at the end of each winter. He added, however, that it was unfortunate the construction was lasting all summer, when most businesses are at their busiest and make extra money that can help them survive a slower shopping season in the winter.
Alesha Kreiner, the owner of Second Chance Consignment & Boutique, also expressed dismay that the construction was lasting all through the summer, right when her dresses are most likely to sell. She said sales have declined 25-35% and that whether her business could handle the loss would depend on when construction ended.
Roberto Whitsell, the manager at Four Star Grille at 1835 Gratiot Blvd., said the restaurant has seen a decline of about 30% in business compared to last year. He emphasized that this affected not only the restaurant, but the staff who have seen a decline in their tips.
For now, each of the business owners the Times Herald spoke to said they were hunkering down hoping the construction will let up soon so traffic can return to normal.
“We just want our Gratiot back,” Whitesell said.
Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Marysville shops suffer as Gratiot construction slows business
Reporting by Johnathan Hogan, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Johnathan Hogan, Port Huron Times Herald | USA TODAY Network
