Article content continued

“Businesses are down, businesses are closing, it cannot be ignored,” he said. “There is a growl about getting here, about construction. We are all dealing with it and coping, but the last two months we have seen stores close and others are close.”

The nearby McDonald’s is closing, and several other businesses have said they will soon close, he said.

“I have been doing this for 30 years and we are a destination, that’s the only reason we survived.

“We’re not angry, we’re concerned.”

Pa Kua Martial Arts Academy, 242 Dundas St.

“Sometimes, my students are worried about their safety, especially at night,” said owner Julio Hugentobler.

He’s seen business drop by more than 10 per cent, and believes construction, parking and homelessness are factors.

“There are some people asleep in my doorway at 6 p.m. My clients don’t feel safe. One guy tried to fight me. I’m a martial arts teacher and that would not have been good for him.”

Rebel Remedy, 242 Dundas St.

Business at the take-out cafe, in the heart of the construction zone, is down by half this summer, leaving owners Julie Kortekaas and Shayna Patterson staffing the place themselves after one employee was let go.

“It means the two of us are here a lot more. It can be draining,” said Kortekaas.

“There are housing issues, mental health issues, a lot of problems. The issue of homelessness will not just go away.”

She’d like to see garbage containers and washrooms on the street, to keep it cleaner during construction.

“People are urinating on buildings. There’s nowhere to go to the bathroom.”

Fine Art Custom Framing, 264 Dundas St.

Business has plummeted at the poster and framing store by about half, due largely to construction.

“Our business is down more than 50 per cent. Why not do the construction 24-7? These businesses are not franchises, we are owners and it is too hard,” said Yunis Ilahi, who’s owned the store about 15 years.

He’s tried to cut prices to cope. He’s also worried about the homeless and addicted in the downtown.

“So many of the homeless I see are new faces, they’re not from here, they’re from out of the city. I know these people, I see them every day. They block the street. It is tough.”