You know the old adage: “Minnesota has two seasons—winter and road construction.” Though the phrase is somewhat tongue in cheek, the summer of 2024 feels especially bleak, with construction stretches taking over many of our busy business districts and neighborhoods all at the same time. We checked in with some of those whose livelihoods are affected most—resilient small business owners.
Entrepreneurs in some of the most highly impacted areas—Uptown, 50th & France, Linden Hills, and Northeast’s Old Town—are all grappling with how construction has obstructed access (and parking), deterring customers from making the trip at all. “Yes, the construction has definitely dampened our business,” says Audra Frizzell, owner of The Golden Pearl Vintage in Old Town. “People are avoiding this area altogether. Or if they do venture down, the sight of the mess is so daunting they give up and leave.”
Metro Transit broke ground this spring on the new E Line route, which will run from the University of Minnesota to Uptown, Linden Hills, 50th & France, and on to Southdale Center. Adding to the equation, the city of Edina closed 50th Street, a main artery into 50th & France, to build new pedestrian sidewalks. “All of this combined has brought Linden Hills, 44th & France, and 50th & France to their knees,” says 50th & France Association marketing director Rebecca Sorensen.
A shared pain point among business owners is a lack of communication from their respective cities and organizations—many feel they aren’t getting enough support to help during this time of turmoil. When Sorensen first caught wind of the E Line project last spring, she called a meeting with Metro Transit and 50th & France business owners, where they were initially told the project would take just two weeks to complete. Now, it’s projected to wrap by December 2025.
“Overall, what’s most frustrating is how late we heard about this massive project with no shared data on business impact,” says Jen Knoch, owner of Senti, a boutique within the Nolan Mains development at 50th & France. “If Metro Transit would have presented in early 2024 the impact to businesses and for how long, I would have been prepared and made different business and creative decisions earlier for this 18-month interruption.”
Both Combine in Uptown and The Golden Pearl Vintage in Old Town report they haven’t received any support from the city. It appears that “Businesses Still Open During Construction” signs aren’t enough. Adam DeJarlais, owner of Twelve Vultures, also in Old Town, saw his adjacent street parking disappear, and the sidewalk in front of his shop was unexpectedly removed in early June and replaced with gravel and rubber mats. Without parking and uninhibited foot traffic, DeJarlais fears small businesses may not survive.
“I understand that the logistics of a roadwork project like this are not simple,” DeJarlais says. “However, we have been offered only excuses as to why the timeline is not being met,” he adds. “Blame is being passed around—project manager blames contractor; contractor blames workload/weather/city/county; county or city have not responded to phone calls.”
How are these projects impacting sales? DeJarlais is down 20 percent. “In the 11 months prior to construction, I had seen positive sales growth each month compared to the same month in the previous year. It is quite obvious that construction is the driving force behind the decline in sales,” he says. Senti’s sales are down 20–30 percent monthly from a year ago. “In August, I had a day where I had one transaction, which is shocking, matching traffic on a typical snowy day in January,” says Knoch.
Sorensen reports that local Edina shops are riding on the coattails of the district’s group of salons and chiropractor’s and dentist’s offices. “Luckily, people come to the area for an appointment and make a few trips while in the district,” she says.
In retail, shop owners know that summer is typically a slower season, but many have blown through what they had set aside as nest eggs—and are now dipping into their savings to keep their businesses alive. Jamie Carl, owner of Serge and Jane, located in the 44th & France district, reports her slowest summer to date. “We’ve historically seen it start to pick back up mid-August, but sales and traffic didn’t pick up like they have in the past few years yet,” says Carl. For some, like Jenny in the City, which shuttered its 44th & France location in July, the road projects have proven to be the nail in the coffin.
While 50th & France may be blessed with a supportive association and more resources than other retail communities, its executive director and her team are in total survival mode. “We may have more bells and whistles and leadership,” says Sorensen, “but the worst part is these projects coming through didn’t consider the economic impact they’d have and didn’t come up with any relief funding. I shouldn’t have to pay for the PR, marketing, and events. Everyone should be given some resources to help themselves through this.”
In turn, folks are getting creative and scrappy, taking marketing efforts a step further to liven their quiet streets with initiatives like yoga, dance classes, concert series, chalk art, pickleball courts, fashion events, and shopping crawls. “Whatever we can throw at this, we’ll try,” says Sorensen. In Old Town, a concentrated area of secondhand shops, store owners collaborated on an outdoor parking lot Vintage Block Party in September to draw shoppers. And local influencers are using their channels and followings to draw attention to neighborhoods in need of positive visibility.
The disruptions have also caused business owners to quickly adjust how they operate due to lower sales, forcing them to take a more conservative approach to holiday ordering, pull back on employee hours, and reschedule buying trips. For Senti, Knoch has had to shift from what she defines as Senti’s sweet spot—constantly rotating in new, fresh product offerings—to keep overhead down.
Another familiar adage, that “every time you buy something from a small business, a real person does a happy dance,” rings true, especially for our locals at the moment. Some shops, like The Golden Pearl Vintage, are relying heavily on their e-commerce clientele, but what about those that depend solely on their high-touch in-store customer service and experience? It’s up to consumers to build in extra time and proactively support these neighborhoods. “The big message now is that if we want to support the small business communities, you have to come now and not wait until after construction,” says Sorensen, “because sadly, it may be too late for some.”