Construction hurts some local businesses

Dirt, cones, and caution tape lining the intersection of Cook Street and Highway 111 look like a mess, but Donna Gowland of Lifestyles Nutrition assures us, “It’s not as bad at it looks.”

Gowland says construction on the corner of Highway 111 and Cook Street in Indian Wells hasn’t hurt her business too much.

“I think it’s more psychologically a stress seeing the construction and thinking it’s going to deter them,” Gowland said.

No exits are closed as the new restaurant Eureka gets built, set to open soon — August 12.

“They seem to keep the traffic flowing fairly well, and smoothly, so it’s not too frustrating,” she added.

However, the construction on Town Center Way and Highway 111, across from Westfield Mall, tells a different story. The much awaited Nordstrom Rack and Whole Foods are getting built. There, business owners tell us the cones, dirt, and detour signs are as bad as they look.

“You can come in through Town Center Way but you can’t come in through (Highway) 111. You have to go all the way around,” Myra Levine, owner of Snookies Footsies, said.

Levine said it gets worse.

“They had 3/4 of our parking lot closed and they just opened up more so that made it easier,” Levine said.

Levine said this double edged sword is a tough one to hold.

“The end is going to be wonderful so we just have to sit through this and wait it out,” she said.

Until next spring, when Nordstrom Rack and Whole Foods should open.