ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – An annual promotion to boost sales for Downtown Escanaba businesses has been postponed due to construction.
At the end of every July, Escanaba businesses participate in Sidewalk Sales in front of their establishments.
“We certainly try to keep all of our events here this year because we want to have some sense of normalcy in a year that has been extremely difficult to deal with,” said Escanaba DDA Director Craig Woerpel.
However, many shops and restaurants don’t have sidewalks at the moment.
“I think that they’ve been displaced a lot more than we anticipated,” Woerpel said. “Even where the streets are, there’s a big drop. The sidewalks have always been open as long as they’re not torn out, but we don’t want to have an event where we’re expecting people to walk and them not be able to get to it.”
This year’s Sidewalk Sales were originally delayed until August 14. Now, the DDA has once again postponed the promotion until September 4.
Woerpel explained, “We want to be able to still provide an opportunity for businesses to clear some inventory as they get ready for their fall, provide some sales items for people, but we want to do it safely.”
While construction is coming along, with sidewalks in the center of Ludington Street nearly complete, there is still much to be done on the eastern and western sides of the downtown. According to Woerpel, the project timeline has hit a few snags along the way.
“There’s some sidewalks that are coming out again due to damage or other types of damage to it,” he said. “We had one whole block that was damaged by a person on a bicycle that went through the wet cement. Others are writing their names in the cement, or they’re walking on the cement that’s not completely cured. With the asphalt, we don’t want people driving within the downtown. There’s been issues with that, and we can’t afford that time-wise. Hopefully, people will respect the barriers so that we can move forward.”
Paving is scheduled to begin on August 26. If the rest of the work goes as planned, the entire downtown is on track to reopen in mid- or late-September. The September 4 Sidewalk Sales are set to draw shoppers, diners, and tourists to businesses that Woerpel says could really use the foot traffic.
“It’s been a tough year because people are reluctant to come to the downtown simply because of the construction,” he said. “That’s unfortunate but certainly understandable, so they need promotional activities. When it’s all done, we’re going to have a big celebration. Hopefully, people will come down and see what this has been like for a lot of people.”
Updates regarding participating businesses and event activities will be shared on the Escanaba DDA’s website, escanabadowntown.com, and social media pages as the new date approaches.
