Road work is a nuisance for shops

In January, Limelight Tanning Salon on the corner of 200 South and 400 West was doing great business. Now, owner Cory Clough says he might have to close up shop and move to a new location after being hit hard by road construction.

He said his business, which has operated in the Dakota Lofts building just east of The Gateway for three years, has felt the impact as the Utah Transit Authority has torn up 400 West to extend its light-rail line to the newly opened intermodal transportation hub.

"There's a major decrease in business due to the fact that there's no parking for the clients," Clough said.

This past week has been especially tough. Crews working to replace an underground 1920s-era gas line discovered that an old electrical conduit lay in a spot different from where they thought it would be. The result was an unexpected closure of 400 West for much of the week, although crews opened the road a few times for Jazz games and a concert.

Businesses in The Gateway area are hunkering down for what is expected to be about another year of road work while UTA extends its TRAX line, which currently ends at 400 West on South Temple. The extension will run down 400 West to 200 South, then down 200 South to 600 West, where it will run to the intermodal hub.

While some businesses, including Limelight and others that front 400 West and 200 South, have reported varying degrees of trouble, stores inside The Gateway mall itself say business doesn't seem to have been affected.

"If someone's going to drive all the way to this mall, they're not going to turn around because they see construction," said Tiffany Nelson, manager of the Pears boutique.

She and employees at other stores in The Gateway said some mall workers have had trouble finding places to park on the street because of the construction, and the mall lots fill up faster. It's also harder for customers to make quick in-and-out trips because of the traffic.

Bill Knowles, whose position as construction ombudsman is the result of a partnership between Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake Chamber, said traffic counts at The Gateway are actually up, and most businesses he meets with report they are surviving.

On Friday afternoon, there was no shortage of shoppers, and they seemed only mildly put out by the construction.

"I love The Gateway, so it's worth it," said Midvale resident Shanda Adams, who had some trouble finding parking in the crowded underground lot. "If I had known how busy it would be — how hard to get around — I might have come a different time."