BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Businesses along 19th Street in downtown Bakersfield say construction on the 19th Street corridor project is cutting into their revenue, eliminating parking and leaving some owners struggling to break even.
Marc DeLeon, owner of Mad Dog Tattoo, has operated his shop for more than 20 years. He says the project immediately took away half the available parking near his business and workers from a building across the street took the rest.
"When the Nineteenth Street corridor project, they took immediately half the parking. Then the people working in the building across the street ended up taking the other half; we were left with nothing," DeLeon said.
DeLeon says he received notice of the construction plans just two weeks before work began and still did not have a clear picture of how parking would be affected. A parking lot next to his shop which he invested in fixing up for customers, despite it belonging to the city is now gated off for construction equipment.
The impact is personal for DeLeon, who is handicapped.
"As for me, I'm handicapped and if I have to park a block or two away, I might as well not have to come to work," DeLeon said.
Michael Morin, owner of Griffin's and Son's Pawnshop at 19th and L Street, says the construction comes at a difficult time for his business, which has been fighting to break even since the pandemic.
"We're just now getting out of that COVID era where businesses are finally starting to pick up but then all of a sudden we have this construction going on. It's difficult to navigate," Morin said.
City Council Member Andrae Gonzales met with local business owners to hear how the construction is affecting their shops. He says businesses need more advance notice and a seat at the table when projects like this are planned.
"These business owners have to have more of a notice earlier on and they have to be consulted because it directly impacts their area," Gonzales said.
Gonzales says one solution is making more accessible public parking options available, which the city plans to work on.
The city of Bakersfield says staff is already working to address the concerns.
"Staff is reaching out to these businesses directly to address their concerns and look for solutions. Staff is also available to any businesses if issues come up as this project progresses. Direct contact has been provided to all businesses on this corridor," the city said.
The project is slated for completion by October.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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