MASSILLON, Ohio — The ongoing demolition of two unsafe buildings on Lincoln Way in Downtown Massillon has closed off traffic for the time being, but it has also slowed foot traffic for the dozen businesses that depend on it.
Downtown Massillon is filled with charm and Holly Bryan Huth, the president of the Downtown Massillon Association, said a big part of that charm is the local shops and restaurants.
“When you know the person who is providing the service and know they’re good to you, it is important,” she said. “Massillon is a city built on connection.”
But there’s nothing worse for business owners than cutting off that connection, and that’s happening on Lincoln Way from 3rd Street SE to 1st Street SW.
Two weeks ago, two vacant buildings on the, typically, busy thoroughfare partially collapsed. The city inspected those buildings and condemned them, issuing a demolition order.
Matthew Heck and his wife, Dori, are owners of the Sangria Stand on Lincoln Way East, just across the street from the demolition.
“The construction site is a small, 1-block radius, and you’re taking out seven blocks...that makes it very difficult for business owners to continue to operate,” he said.
The businesses and the sidewalks are open, but the construction and the ‘road closed’ signs are deterrents for people, said Heck.
“Last Saturday, we were at 10% of what our normal sales were, just because of people not being able to get here,” said Heck.
He said this is just another bump in the road for businesses on Lincoln Way.
“It does feel like, again, that jab, that punch,” he noted.
In 2019, the city started Phase I of its streetscape project which forced businesses to shut down everything for months.
“The street never reopened until December of 2019 and then we rolled into March of 2020,” he said. “It was difficult and you had to evolve your business and say, ‘OK, no one is walking in the door. How do we get our product to people?’”
Bryan-Huth said the businesses in the city’s Downtown area have suffered more than most.
“Now, as they’re trying to regain and recoup and regain momentum into their businesses, this emergency closure has once again thwarted everything they’re trying to do,” she said.
She said it was time to sustain these businesses that have survived so much already, so she proposed a challenge on social media.
“I said come and visit at least two of the stores, shops or restaurants downtown this week. Just to keep things going. Bring a friend. Grab a drink or a burger,” she said. “Call and order a gift card.”
The response on social media has been overwhelming, with people vowing to step up and step in to those shops and restaurants.
“There’s nothing better than my community, in my heart, and this is what we need to do,” said Bryan-Huth.
Massillon leaders said there’s not an exact timeline of when the street will reopen, but they will do it as soon as the project is complete and safe for the public.
But Heck has a dream for his future timeline.
“We have this excited idea that we are going to be a regular bar, that we are just going to come in and people are going to have drinks. There’s going to be nothing, no headaches, no timelines, but that’s the fantasy,” he said.
Watch live and local news any time:
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
