Downtown Wadsworth business owners warned city leaders this week that a planned multi-million-dollar Downtown Improvement Project, set to start this spring and expected to last at least 18 months, could force some shops and restaurants to close if heavy work wipes out the October-through-December holiday season. Merchants said they already felt burned by short notices and lost parking, and warned that losing three months of sales could be fatal for businesses that only opened last year.
Merchants sound the alarm
As reported by Cleveland.com, downtown shop owners including Ronnie Kemer and Denine Cruiser told council they could not survive losing October through December. Kemer said that kind of hit to the holiday stretch would be fatal for a business that opened in 2024, and Cruiser said the city once gave only two days' notice before crews started work in a rear parking lot last year. Business owners urged the city to avoid heavy work in the two quadrants of downtown where most retail and restaurants are concentrated, arguing that short-term closures could have long-term consequences.
City moves to hire a construction manager
The city is advertising for a Construction Manager At Risk to oversee the multi-block project and has advanced related ordinances through council, according to the City of Wadsworth agenda. Council minutes show the work will draw on multiple funds and that ordinances authorizing notes and appropriations for the downtown effort have moved through committee. Wadsworth City Council minutes indicate the administration is treating design and utility work as multi-fund obligations tied to the larger downtown plan.
What the city says it will do
As reported by Cleveland.com, the city says the $12.7 million project will include street reconstruction, utility upgrades and other infrastructure improvements across several downtown blocks. City officials told reporters the administration will work to maintain building access, install temporary wayfinding and provide advance notice of closures, but also warned they cannot guarantee blackout periods during the holiday shopping season.
Downtown's economic pinch
The downtown has added new shops and relies on events and holiday traffic to keep storefronts viable, a push Main Street Wadsworth has supported through design work and programming. Main Street Wadsworth says those efforts have helped build foot traffic that many small businesses now depend on. Other Ohio downtowns have felt similar pain during lengthy projects, as merchants reported steep drops in customers during extended street work in nearby communities, underscoring why Wadsworth owners are pressing for clear windows and phased work. 13ABC reported on the Sylvania impact.
What comes next
The city says it will present an initial construction schedule to businesses after selecting contractors and plans a stakeholder meeting once a construction manager is on board, according to Wadsworth City Council minutes. Merchants say they will keep pressing council for holiday blackout windows or phased sequencing that protects the October-through-December season while the city moves forward with the long-needed infrastructure work.
