Locke Street is fully reopening next week
- Michael Kras
- 31 Oct 2019
Locke Street businesses and patrons alike are rejoicing as the popular Hamilton community is set to fully reopen this coming week after seven agonizing months of crippling construction work.
While Hamilton is known to have multiple major construction projects on the go throughout the city nowadays, the work on Locke Street was especially limiting; countless businesses suffered significantly in their patronage while entire stretches of the street were blocked off, and access points to storefronts and nearby parking were more than a little cumbersome.
The completion of construction will be a major relief to Locke Street’s shops and restaurants, many of whom saw major dips in patronage and revenue for the project’s lengthy duration, which was enough to deter even the most devoted Locke Street visitors.
Sadly though, one Locke Street staple was eventually unable to withstand the business damages caused by the construction and is forced to close its doors for the foreseeable future. That would be NaRoma Pizza Bar, the beloved gourmet pizzeria that has been a fixture of Locke’s food scene since 2011.
Owner Mario Spina could no longer keep up with the financial demands of the business with the effects of the construction, suffering major dips that resulted in NaRoma falling two and a half months behind on rent. The landlord officially locked Spina out this past Friday.
NaRoma was one of a few Locke Street spots, including Donut Monster, who opened temporary pop-ups elsewhere in Hamilton in an attempt to soften a bit of the considerable financial blow caused by the construction. NaRoma’s pop-up at Scoly’s Hometown Market on Nebo Road currently remains open for business.
While most of Locke Street’s established shops managed to stay afloat through the seven-month period, the effects have still been substantial, with many business owners citing anywhere between 20 and 30 per cent loss in revenue during that tough portion of the year.
So, now that Locke Street is fully back up and running, Hamiltonians should rush on down and show their favourite local businesses some major love!
Lead image courtesy of @lockestshops
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