Marda Loop residents will get a slight reprieve from area road construction over the winter but come spring the City of Calgary will be hard at work finishing things up.

The lessening construction will hopefully mean more traffic for area businesses during the busy holiday season, as local shop owners look for a bit of a boost.

It’s short-term pain for long-term gain, said shop owner Jennifer Rondeau, who owns Meadowlark Toy Company on 34 Avenue, said the Marda Loop Business Improvement Area has done a great job of promoting the area while there’s been ongoing work.

Plus, the end result should draw more people to the area.

“I’m really excited for the future of Marda Loop, and for me accessibility is top priority,” she said.

“I will never have a store that isn’t fully accessible because 90 per cent of my customers are pushing a stroller. So, the fact that Marda Loop is going to become even more accessible and walkable is amazing.”

That’s the end goal, said Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott – find ways to drive more people to spend time in the area. But not necessarily by driving a car to get here.

“The work that we’re doing here is to make this a pedestrian area, so that more people from this community, from three streets that way, 10 streets that way, are walking down here,” Walcott said.

“All of this construction, it’s almost ironic in the sense that we’re trying to get people to walk here and enjoy their spaces here safely, and during the time that we’re actually building that infrastructure is the least likely time that they want to walk down here and so we’re trying to find that balance.”

Work to wane over winter, start up again in the spring

Colin Chapman, senior transportation engineer and construction project manager with the City of Calgary, said that there are two major scopes of work – road reconstruction and utility work.

During the month of December, Chapman said they’re going to be doing more work west of 20 Street, away from the businesses during the busy time.  He said they don’t do concrete in the winter so that work will end soon, but there are some shallow utilities, like the overhead Enmax line.

“What we’ve done is sort of prioritize where the business fronts are to get work away from there through the winter months,” Chapman said.

Chapman said the scope of the project goes from Crowchild Trail on the west side, to about 19 Street SW. Roadwork and streetscape projects along 33 and 34 Avenue SW will be done in an alternating fashion so they can maintain one lane of traffic and parking where there’s space.

Bob van Wegen, executive director of the Marda Loop Business Improvement Area (BIA), recognizes that the work has been challenging for businesses. It will continue to be challenging until it’s done, he said.

“We continue to have a lot of successful businesses in the area and we’re doing our best to work through this period,” he said.

“It’s going to be fabulous when it’s done. One of the best things is things are kind of letting up for the Christmas season.”

The City has also provided $20,000 to the area to help promote business and market the area while construction is ongoing.  There’s a holiday gift guide, a Spirit of the Loop event with Santa on Dec. 9 at the Henry Block, and other events over the holidays.

“We’re really focused honestly on mitigating the losses, making sure people come down, making sure business stay healthy during construction, and that’s really where our focus is,” van Wegen said.

Chapman said that moving into next year, they’re taking into account feedback from residents and businesses to help tweak potential detour or things like signal timing to ensure a smoother transition in – and through – the area.

He thanked area businesses for their patience.

“The community and businesses have been great,” Chapman said.

“We’re here for the businesses and the community to build this out.”