WESTBROOK, Maine — Westbrook city leaders announced Wednesday night that construction currently closing a portion of Main Street in downtown will last longer than expected.
In June, the city closed Main Street between Bridge Street and Mechanic Street for construction. Crews are upgrading utilities, including a water line that is more than 130 years old, more than 20 feet in the ground, and surrounded by a ledge.
That work is part of the larger project to bring a new public parking garage and an urban farm called Vertical Harvest to the downtown area. There are several construction projects downtown, including revitalizing the common area between Main Street and William Clarke Drive.
"If that project weren't happening, we would still need to replace and upgrade the utilities," Mayor Michael Foley said. "It's taken a little bit longer than we anticipated with challenges we've discovered in the ground."
The newly announced delays worry some small business owners downtown, who say they have noticed a dip in foot traffic and revenue.
"It's been challenging, but we're doing okay," Shawn Reed, co-owner of Brook City Nutrition, said. "I feel like we've probably lost a couple of paces. When you lose the flow of traffic, it's really hard for us."
"It's definitely nerve-wracking, and I feel for the business that are having lost business, but we're working really hard to make sure their future is successful," Foley said.
Foley said the city is using economic development grants to promote businesses in the area. Thursday night, he ran the register at Brook City while the grant paid for free drinks to encourage customers to stop by.
The city created a temporary public parking lot at the corner of Bridge Street and Main Street near the Saccarappa Falls so that people can still access the businesses that are all open in the area.
Reed asked people to consider helping these businesses through this period.
"This is how we make our living. This is how we provide jobs. We want to continue doing that. We don't want that jeopardized. We need the people of Westbrook. We need the people from the surrounding towns," Reed said. "We thank them. We know it means a lot, and they know it means a lot that they're making the effort to come see us. It's appreciated all around for sure."