Since she was a little girl, Eli Croft has noticed fewer and fewer people coming into her grandmother's store to buy books.

Just over a week ago, the Owl's Nest Bookstore on Queen Street in Fredericton announced it would close its doors on Sept. 30 after 26 years downtown.

"Even when I was a kid, I used to see so many people in the downtown area coming into the bookstore, coming out of the bookstore, people leaving with arms full of books," said the 21-year-old, who worked there.

Eli Croft, who works at the Owl's Nest Bookstore, blames a lack of parking and activities downtown, along with a declining interest in buying books. (CBC)

While Croft blames the closure on declining numbers of people who buy books, she also points fingers at the City of Fredericton.

Compared to other cities across Canada, she said, there's a lack of parking and things to do in downtown Fredericton, which are both needed by retailers.

"There's no reason for people to come into the downtown unless they're looking for something specific," she said.

More businesses closing

Second Spin Records on York Street, Read's Newsstand and Cafe Fredericton on King, and Damda Restaurant on Queen, have all recently closed this summer. Meanwhile, Aitkens Pewter has relocated to McLeod Avenue from Queen.

Several factors were involved, including a shortage of labour, health problems, upheavals caused by construction, and fewer customers in the stores.

Patti Hollenberg, co-owner of Chess Piece Café, feels that both Fredericton Tourism and Downtown Fredericton Inc., are trying their best to keep business strong in the downtown.

She cited the upcoming Maritime Oyster Festival in August and the Garrison Night Market on Thursday.

"We see the spin-off from what those evenings … bring," she said.

On June 26, the owner of Read's Newsstand and Cafe Fredericton announced he was closing the store because of health reasons. (Photo: Angela Bosse/CBC)

But she calls the latest closures a "massive damper" on the downtown business community.

Hollenberg said the core has always had a mix of businesses to draw people in, but when a business closes, nothing good comes from it.

On June 30, Damda, a restaurant in downtown Fredericton, announced its closure to customers on Facebook. (Angela Boss/CBC)

"Whenever you lose a piece of that puzzle, it's heartbreaking to see, especially when you're on the same block."

Although she didn't want to speak on behalf of other owners, Hollenberg said that her impression from speaking to many of them is that business is down.

We've got businesses there that are running off credit cards to pay their bills because of what's happening on that corner. - Bruce McCormack, Downtown Fredericton Inc.

"Some are managing better than others, some are clearly not," she said. "I think there's been better years."

Hollenberg also said people are frustrated by the traffic caused by construction in the downtown.

"I think that's a source of frustration for most people," she said. "When they go home they don't want to come back."

'Nothing to worry about'

But Bruce McCormack, general manager of Downtown Fredericton Inc., said there's nothing to worry about.

"We're aware of all the different situations that are happening, some we can control, some we can't," he said.

Over the past few years, he said there's been a lot of development in the downtown area, such as the new Hilton Garden Inn, to open on Queen Street, the revitalization of the Centennial Building, the new Fredericton courthouse and new designs of Fredericton's performing arts centre.

Bruce McCormack, general manager of Downtown Fredericton Inc., said business is booming in the downtown, despite construction and recent closures. (CBC)

And new businesses have moved in, he said, citing RustiCo., which replaced Mexicali Rosa's, and Gahan House Riverside, which replaced Vault 29.

He also said people are interested in renting the spaces that have closed.

"Downtown's fragile, we hate to lose business period," he said.

"But there's so many good things going on we've got to take that in stride and continue to work, develop and support our businesses."

Construction plays a factor

McCormack admitted that construction at the busy intersection with Regent Street has had an impact on downtown businesses but said it will improve the city's infrastructure in the long run.

There are 22 major construction projects taking place in Fredericton this summer, which will cost more than $30 million. 1:43

"We've got businesses there that are running off credit cards to pay their bills because of what's happening on that corner," he said. ​

Despite the apparent slowdown in places, McCormack said major changes are continuing in the downtown, especially at the east end.

"We feel we're heading in the right direction," he said.