A construction project in Santa Fe started with great hopes, but now business owners in the city center say they are fed up.
Santa Fe, NM – A construction project in Santa Fe started with great hopes, but now business owners in the city center say they are fed up.
The city reconstructs rue Guadalupe, which is a lifeline for downtown Santa Fe and the many stores and restaurants along it. But business owners say that there have been many delays and that city leaders do not say much. They told Kob 4 that they feared how long they could hang on.
“Terrible. All our corridor is negatively affected,” said Patrick Lambert, owner of Cowgirl BBQ.
The city of holy faith begins to lose its faith in the city of Santa Fe.
“There is a lot of disinformation and there is a lot of frustration with the construction that is going on now,” said Lambert.
This construction is a complete overhaul of Guadalupe Street. From Agua Fria to Paseo de Peralta, the street has been narrowed or blocked since January 2024.
“We feel very frustrated,” said Lambert.
Lambert says that his sales have dropped by more than 9%.
“Important. It’s real. It means that people cannot work or that someone else has to absorb this cost to keep people employed,” said Lambert.
It is a story similar to the Whole Hog Cafe. Bo Barnwell said sales were down 16%.
“We are a hotel city,” said Barnwell. “Frankly, no one will even want to walk here when all the restaurant seats on the square are full because they must navigate the construction.”
The city said that the project adds cycle paths, expanding sidewalks, creating new median. Once finished, they will be the “rue Cadillac de Santa Fe”.
But unexpected delays have pushed things back. Barnwell said that there had not been enough communication.
“The merchants from top to bottom of Guadalupe North and South are just a little in darkness,” he said.
No one in the city of Santa Fe was available for an interview with the camera, but in a press release, indicated in part:
“The leadership of the city of Santa Fe understands the concerns of business owners and apologizes for delays. The City continues to seek solutions to help companies through this difficult period, in particular the promotion of businesses … ”
Lambert has this message for customers:
“Don’t get too much discouraged, and I can come and help us all and keep the places on the move,” said Lambert.