Business is not booming in part of downtown Rockdale right now.
Owners of businesses report their store traffic is down from even last year during the COVID-19 curse.
Since late last year the Texas Department of Transportation has been coordinating through a contractor a project to give US 79 through downtown Rockdale a new look. Sidewalks, lights, decorations, parking spots and the works are to reinvigorate downtown and improve the traffic flow.
That work ended in May, some time after Mother Day. It was around that time that the water line of a building owned by John Moran was damaged and he was told by the city that it was apparently his problem.
So he paid for the damage, but was told that the city would talk to TxDOT to try to get him repaid, Moran said.
“The work stoppage on US 79 is a combination of the wet weather in addition to conflicting utility lines. TxDOT, the city and the contractor are looking at the timing of the road construction in conjunction with proposals for solutions to the utility conflicts to progress the project in an effort to minimize the impacts,” said a TxDOT spokesman.
Meanwhile the work stoppage has some business owners wondering about the future.
Moran whose family was planning to open The Snug at 121 East Cameron is worried about the current lack of sidewalks and parking spaces in front of the building.
“I mean I might have to redo my business plan,” he said.
Wendy Hall, owner of Rustic Charm Decor and Boutique, and Jacey Gray of Shear Gypsy Salon & Spa share building space next door to the building that is scheduled to be the home of The Snug.
Both say their business is down, but are hoping the street and sidewalk work will resume soon.
They worry about their customers and clients having to navigate the treacherous terrain that is now outside their front doors, they said. And coming in the back way is not without dangers, too, they said.
“I am afraid someone might fall back there,” Hall said, adding there are some big rocks out there.
“Our sales now are down 80 percent at least,” Hall said.
“We would normally have a few customers in here now,” Gray said looking around the room at 11:30 a.m. on a Thursday.
The Rockdale City Council took steps Monday night to get the workers contracted by TxDOT back to putting in sidewalks and parking space along the downtown stretch of US 79 from Green to Burleson.
The city will move water lines out of the state’s right of way. The old cast iron lines now in the state right of way will be filled with grout and abandoned in favor of new PVC lines in the city’s right of way.
“We are doing this to restart the work,” said Jerald Brunson, the director of public works. “I think we can get started in two weeks.”
“We need to get this project going and get this work done now. It has got to get done,” City Manager Barbara Holly said.
“If we can get to the end goal, I think downtown Rockdale could be a great tourist place,” Hall said. “Hopefully, we can last that long.”
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