cellar_center
Although he is concerned new clientele will not come in because there are no longer parking spots available in front of the restaurant, he is not worried about returning customers.
“As far as our regulars ... we have a very dedicated veteran clientele,” Gillespie said. “We do have the name Hokie involved.”
Kevin Long, manager at The Cellar, also expressed some apprehension toward the construction, which he feels is going to take “entirely too long” and has not only taken up parking spots, but also caused profit and sales losses.
“I feel that the construction is just unsightly and has caused even more parking problems than ever before,” Long said. “However, there is still ample parking in the back of the building.”
There has been recent confusion concerning what the end result will be for the area between The Cellar and Sharkey’s. While Long was under the impression that a tractor-trailer loading dock would take up this space, Schirmer refuted this notion.
Dating back to the initial master plan, there were many ideas considered for the area, one of them being a pedestrian plaza.
However, according to Schirmer, downtown businesses were not willing to give up their parking spots and that road area for the implementation of the plaza. The compromise was a narrower road, wider sidewalks and almost as many parking spots as before.
Prior to construction, Schirmer explained there was already a curb area designated as a loading zone where trucks could unload things such as food and beer for local businesses to receive their supplies.
Despite his current concerns with the parking at Hokie House, Gillespie feels once the project is completed, it will be a positive thing.
“We have already started brainstorming once it is completed with the outdoor seating,” Gillespie said. “We are looking into what we can do as a business ... (like) tables out during the summer and early fall semester to give people something they’ve never experienced at Hokie House.”
Efforts have been made by the town to encourage customers to continue visiting the businesses currently affected by construction.
“Keep going there. Keep going to those businesses,” Sedlak said.
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A version of this article appeared in the Aug 23 issue of the Collegiate Times.
Leave a comment 6 Comments Write a letter to the editor
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It's pretty basic.
Construction is messy. Completion will be amazing, beautiful
and people will see that it's worth the trouble. Enjoy. This will
make Blacksburg that much better to enjoy all summer long.
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i don't see how there is the issue with parking spaces. the construction has gotten rid of about 5 or 6 spaces out in front of the cellar and hokie house while all the spots are still available behind the restaurants as they always have. this project will be good for Bburg when completed and will help foot traffic to the restaurants.
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There will be no bike lanes with this project
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There is no point to this project, "foot traffic" was fine before it, I don't see how it wasn't. Now "foot traffic" is not fine because of the construction. This is just a waste of money, time, and unnecessary congestion. I'd like to be proved wrong at the end of the project but I just don't see it happening.
Yea it will "look" different but foot traffic will be the same. You still have to cross the road.
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Foot traffic will be very different as there will be spaces for
sidewalk cafes, people hanging out benches, plaza space for
downtown events and with the new performing arts center
more space to hold events, spend an evening. Folks who don't
"get it" will when its done. Just have a little patience and a little
faith, please. Not everything that happens is "BAD".
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what's irritating is the fact that it will take 2 years to do this. It'd be totally different if this could all be done over the span of a summer or say 6 months. But 2 years. That's half of most student's time in blacksburg.
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