A Parkville boutique owner who already watched construction gut her sales once is bracing for it to happen again. Jen McGuire, who owns The Parlor Boutique, moved her shop to downtown Parkville after construction tore into foot traffic at her old location in Liberty — and now a sweeping redesign of Highway 9 has her worried history could repeat itself just as her new store finds its footing.
McGuire has run her shop in Parkville for about a year and a half, according to KSHB 41. The proposed Highway 9 plan would shift the road south along the railroad tracks and behind the Southern Platte Fire Protection District fire station before reconnecting with Main Street, the station reports. It is part of a broader downtown overhaul that also includes sidewalk improvements and changes meant to make the area safer for pedestrians and improve traffic flow.
McGuire knows firsthand what construction can do to a small business's bottom line. She previously lost nearly $70,000 in sales because of construction conditions in downtown Liberty, and she said the drop-off began almost the moment work started. “When the fence went up, the traffic died,” she said, recalling how customer visits dried up once barriers appeared near her old storefront. That earlier ordeal also saw Liberty's city council vote to demolish a third building at 11 N. Water Street, next door to her former shop.
A New Road Behind the Fire Station
The Highway 9 redesign isn't the only piece of construction headed for downtown Parkville. Per the Platte County Landmark, the project would build a new road behind the fire station that intersects with South East Street north of the railroad before continuing on to Main Street. The same plan calls for closing 1st Street entirely and converting it into a pedestrian promenade.
The Route 9 plan has been in development for approximately a decade, the Landmark reports. City officials have selected what's known as Concept B to move forward into the roadway design process, according to the city's own Route 9 Complete Streets project page, and consultants briefed the board in July on plan reviews already underway with MoDOT, BNSF and the Southern Platte Fire District.
Worries Over Timing, Hope for the Long Run
McGuire's concern is less about the project's merits than its timing for a business still building loyal customers. She worries construction could discourage shoppers from visiting downtown businesses, particularly those that haven't yet established themselves. “It is very sudden and jarring, and it really takes a toll very quickly because your bills keep coming,” she said.
She isn't alone in that worry. Fox4KC reports that some small-business owners fear construction will keep customers away and hurt their businesses before the project wraps up. Others interviewed by the station take a longer view, suggesting that whether it takes nine months, 18 months or two years, the finished redesign could ultimately be good for downtown. McGuire and Parkville Jewelers owner Troy Wilson have collected more than 150 signatures on a petition opposing the project, the Landmark reports.
City Says It's Listening, Promises Access
Parkville officials say they're not ignoring the pushback. The city is working with business owners and has hired a liaison specifically to field concerns during construction, and officials say the downtown work will be done in sections to limit the disruption to any one business at a time. Parkville has also opened a 30-day community input period to collect feedback from people who visit downtown, running through the end of October.
Mayor Dean Katerndahl has said people will always have access to stores throughout the project, even if that sometimes means unconventional workarounds — he noted a plywood board might temporarily cover part of a storefront while a new sidewalk goes in nearby.
Parkville's situation isn't unique among towns reshaping their downtowns. In Stoneham, Massachusetts, McDonough's Liquors is doing a third of its usual business, according to CBS News Boston, which reports that some establishments are seeing up to a third of their usual business and that Anthony's Italian Specialties has seen its business cut in half on some days. Parking became a flashpoint there too, as a nearby public lot was partially filled with construction vehicles while other spots were removed as part of the project design — though Stoneham officials, like Parkville's, said they were working with crews to soften the blow where they could.
