ROANOKE, Va. – For nearly two years, many people headed to Roanoke’s Wasena neighborhood have had to find a different way to get there — and local businesses say they’ve paid the price.
The work on the Wasena Bridge has transformed the busy, greenway-connected corridor into a construction zone, and restaurant owners say the disruption has significantly impacted their bottom lines.
Bruce Todaro, owner of The Green Goat and Hang 10, says his businesses have been hit especially hard.
“We operate a business in a park setting, and now we operate a business in a construction zone,” said Todaro.
According to Todaro, The Green Goat saw a 35% decrease in sales last year, on top of a 30% drop the year before — declines he directly ties to the bridge project. A significant part of the problem, he says, is the closure of the Roanoke River Greenway access, which used to funnel steady foot and bike traffic past his door.
“For folks that would just walk by on the greenway, walk in the door, going for a bike ride and just spontaneously said, ‘Hey, let’s stop in for a couple of beers or we’ll call our husbands. Some ladies would stop by,’” said Todaro, adding that kind of spur-of-the-moment traffic has largely disappeared.
Hang 10, which he also owns, has seen a “huge impact” as well, he said.
Other businesses nearby report similar struggles. At Wasena City Tap Room & Grill, Owner Ted Snyder says the past two years have felt like running in place.
“I haven’t really seen any growth, you know, to offset the work that I’ve put into the place over the last two years,” said Snyder. “So, you know, we’re just…we’re looking forward [to it being done].”
He’s particularly concerned about the impact on big business days, like St. Patrick’s Day, which typically draws large crowds.
“Our sales to the previous St. Patrick’s Day were down a couple thousand dollars easily,” said Snyder.
Not every Wasena business has felt the same level of pain. At River Rock Climbing, General Manager Jared Rigby says the project has been inconvenient, but not necessarily devastating to their bottom line.
“I know it’s been an inconvenience for a lot of people,” said Rigby. “I don’t know if it’s affected the business per se.”
Despite the frustrations, some business owners say they can see the long-term benefits on the horizon. Todaro, who lives just across the bridge, believes the finished project will ultimately be a win for the neighborhood.
“We’ll be grateful,” he said. “We have a brand new bridge. My home is on the other side of the bridge. It’s gonna increase everybody’s property value. It’s a wonderful thing. It’s just getting there right now.”
Construction on the Wasena Bridge is expected to wrap up this summer.