An exciting project has begun on Pettee Square in Upper Falls to make major improvements to the intersection at Oak and Chestnut Streets, but it has caused some disruption of business in the interim.
The goal of this $3.1 million project, now 60% complete, is to raise the intersection in order to calm traffic, and the project will also provide landscaping and street beautification, more accessibility in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), new traffic signal equipment, and upgraded drainage and stormwater control. Preliminary construction started in November 2023, after two years of design, community input, and detailed planning. In the spring of 2024, construction began in earnest and is set to be finished by Upper Falls Village Day, on September 15.
Philip Emmanuel, the owner of one Pettee Square business, Little Luke’s Cafe on the southeast corner of Pettee Square, told Fig City News that he has experienced disruptions in business due to the construction and has kept this business closed since June 30. He said in a public statement on the cafe’s website that because “the corner and patio in front of Little Luke’s have been destroyed and not reassembled,” making “the store completely nonviable,” he closed the cafe and “hopes to reopen in the future.”
“I’m happy with the development to beautify the village and am all in for that,” he said. “I just wish the city had taken a different approach and not been so dismissive of my concerns.”
Several residents, on learning of Mr. Emmanuel’s message, expressed concern about the state of construction in social media, to City Councilors, and the Mayor’s Office. Regular cafe customer Jerry Reilly spoke with Mr. Emmanuel and helped to publicize his concerns.
“I would really hate for Little Luke’s to go under,” Mr. Reilly said, “It’s very hard running little businesses and to keep them going. To lose weeks of your work and staff is a pretty hard hit.”
Mr. Emmanuel also reached out to City Councilor Andreae Downs, who responded by checking in with the Mayor’s office, the Department of Public Works leadership, and the Transportation Division. She told Mr. Emmanuel that they assured her that they were working closely with Little Luke’s Cafe. “I think this is going to be a great project when it’s done,” Ms Downs said, “I very much hope that Little Luke’s can continue to operate at that location.”
In a June 10 email to Mr. Emmanuel, Jonathan Yeo, Chief Operating Officer for the City, addressed Mr. Emmanuel’s concerns about the construction and its disruption. He noted that while the project has always been scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2024, “people have been readily able to access the front door” of the cafe up through July 8. He said that the City “anticipated that the segment [of construction] in front of Little Luke’s might be done by [July 8-12]” but was delayed until July 15-19, and he apologized for that one-week delay.
In Mr. Emmanuel’s public statement, he said that he had requested financial relief from the City. He told Fig City News that since preliminary construction started last year, his revenue had “decreased by 80%.” Mr. Yeo told Mr. Emmanuel that “the City does not provide financial payments on construction projects.”
Noting that Mr. Emmanuel had decided to close the cafe starting July 8, Mr. Yeo said that the contractors then accelerated construction in the entire corner area around the cafe. He offered possibilities for interim access to the cafe during that construction and said that by July 16, there would be “safe and well marked access” to the front door of the cafe from Oak Street and the Greenway.
Mr. Yeo said that the City administration has “not heard from any other business owners regarding the work being done in Pettee Square.”
“Our goal is to have no surprises and to have safe, continual access to all businesses throughout the construction process,” Mr. Yeo said, “Someone from our construction team stopped by Little Luke’s regularly to get the owner’s input.”
Mr. Emmanuel told Fig City News that he hopes to reopen Little Luke’s on August 1.
Chloe Yu is a Fig City News intern and a rising sophomore at Emerson College.