Downtown Bonita Springs construction causes headaches for local businesses

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BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. – A big construction project in downtown Bonita Springs is underway, but it’s causing a headache for some local business owners who are right in the middle of it.

The construction is happening along Old 41 from Pennsylvania to Wilson Street.

“Coming season, I hope they find us,” Aaron Thomas, a co-owner of CGT Kayaks said.

The owners of CGT Kayaks are anxious for customers to stop by now that the new construction project has left downtown Bonita Springs a ghost town.

“We would expect to see significantly more people than we’re seeing right now,” John Paeno said.

The plan is to reconstruct the road for a new streetscape and add a waterline. Several detours have been posted going around Old 41. However, the $18.6 million makeover didn’t come without controversy.

“It was all of a sudden the next thing you know, wham wham wham! A couple of meetings later and it’s all just decided, it’s this is what’s being done,” Tim Stiker said.

Striker, who grew up in Bonita Springs, says he doesn’t think the project is necessary.

“It’s frustrating to me because they’re just trying to turn it into 5th Avenue Naples or something like that and if you want 5th Avenue Naples it’s 30 miles down the road, go to it,” Striker said.
Local businesses in the middle of the construction are still accessible through a detour route, but owners are hoping the city gets better signs pointing to the stores, especially since season has already started.
“It’s all about getting signage out there so people know where to go,” Paeno said.
“Downtown is open for business,” Thomas said.
Bonita Springs city leaders say they are working closely with business owners and new signs will be arriving later this week.
The entire construction project is set to be completed in Fall 2017.

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