The City of Orlando is in the throes of development, which means infrastructure must keep pace. This growth, however, comes with a price for some local businesses in the Ivanhoe Village neighborhood, where road repairs are causing more than just traffic disruptions. Although a necessary step to modernize the city’s sewer system and prevent flooding, the North Orange Avenue Sanitary Sewer Improvement Project is taking a toll on businesses' bottom line by generating parking chaos and limiting street access, as per WFTV report.
Among the affected is "The Hammered Lamb," a restaurant fixture in Orlando for the past 12 years. The establishment is known for its resilience and ability to weather the pandemic, but the ongoing construction poses a different breed of challenge. "We were losing more than we were bringing in," owner Jason Lambert said in a statement reported by FOX 35 Orlando. Consequently, Lambert has taken the painful step of closing the restaurant on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which are historically their slowest days.
The parking situation in Ivanhoe Village has reached a critical point, especially after the institution restricted a private lot owned by Lake Highland Preparatory School, once a default parking space for patrons. The move was unexpected to Lambert and others who have depended on this lot for over a decade. "We’ve been open 12 years. And people have been parking there for 12 years. So, it came as a shock,” Lambert said, per WFTV.
This parking issue has extended to neighboring businesses as well. Jeff Starks, owner of Maffrey's Good Goods, has experienced the same distress. His boutique gift shop is suffering due to the decreased accessibility for his customers. “This has been traumatic for our businesses, and I think that was underestimated,” Starks insisted, according to a WFTV report. Starks, along with other business owners, is calling on the city to step in and help create additional parking facilities, perhaps even considering the construction of a public parking garage to accommodate the growing area.
The City of Orlando actively collaborates with the businesses and Ivanhoe Main Street District to address these concerns. According to the city spokesperson, the parking spaces affected by the construction on North Orange Avenue have reportedly been restored. The completion of the sanitary sewer improvement project is expected by early November, bringing hope for relief to the local business community soon after.
