“Construction is always a major inconvenience and a downfall for anybody with a shop,” said Patricia Lecy-Davis, president of the Downtown Merchants Group. She said previous construction projects have nearly doomed some businesses, so merchants are doing all they can to ensure that won’t happen this time around.

The city has taken measures to minimize the impact of the $2.7 million project in the UW Tacoma area, according to Fred Ostmann, of the Public Works Department. For instance, sidewalks and streets will remain open to local traffic throughout construction and all the work will be done at night.

In addition to keeping streets open to pedestrians and local traffic, which includes customers of businesses, daytime angled parking will be available and bus service will continue as usual.

The project was also timed to avoid big events, said Curtis Kingsolver, an engineer with the city. It was originally slated to begin several months ago, but businesses – hit hard in the past several years by the construction of Tacoma Link light rail and other projects – said they didn’t want to scare away Tall Ships Tacoma business in early July.

The delay means construction will stretch into fall, but the city is determined to be finished by the holiday shopping season.

“I will throw the biggest fit. We do not want to impact the community down there during that time,” Kingsolver said.

During the four-phase construction, a 2-foot section of gravel subsurface will be replaced, then topped with a fabric barrier and six inches of pavement. Workers will also grind down and repave Pacific Avenue from South 25th to C street.

The project could have been avoided if the city had required soil testing when the light rail was built in 2002. Because there was no indication that the roadway was in poor shape, Sound Transit was required only to coat the existing road with pavement.

It wasn’t until the city tore up another section of the street that workers discovered the crumbling road.

“I have a hard time even thinking about it anymore just because we’ve been through so much down there already,” said Pat Nagle, who owns the Harmon Brewery and Restaurant on Pacific Avenue.

For the past month or so, Nagle said, a chalkboard in front of the restaurant has listed construction-related information to keep customers in the loop.

Nagle said he hopes Tacomans “rally around downtown businesses.”

The Downtown Merchants Group wants to help by using a $10,000 grant from the county to put construction-themed signs around the area.

Tina Miller, co-owner of Hello, Cupcake, said she’s optimistic about the construction, in part because the almost-year-old shop wasn’t around for previous projects that frustrated surrounding businesses.

“We absolutely love where we are,” she said. “I like to think of it as just being optimistic that it’ll get done and it’ll be over.”

Construction will be done in four phases. The first phase, between 17th and 21st streets on the west side of the road, will begin first and take about 15 days, according to Ostmann.

The other three phases, each about 20 days, will cover the east side of that section, and the west and east sides between 21st and 25th.

About $2.26 million of the $2.7 million project will be paid out of federal funds. The city is paying $225,700, while Sound Transit and Pierce Transit are picking up another $127,000.

After this summer’s work, construction of a Sounder commuter rail crossing of Pacific Avenue is due next. That project is scheduled to begin in 2009 and finish in 2011 or 2012, according to Sound Transit.

Niki Sullivan: 253-597-8603

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