The green fences that blocked visual access to dozens of Hillcrest businesses are finally down.
It’s a visible sign that things are improving along Fifth Avenue after months of construction caused consternation, confusion, and lost revenue at local shops and restaurants.
“As soon as we got rid of that fencing, we kind of sprung back,” said Victoria Robertson, co-owner of Divo Diva. “So they definitely hurt us directly for six months, which was really impactful.”
Robertson believes that media pressure about the effects on businesses may have led to a faster completion, at least involving the most intensive parts of the project. It was initially scheduled to finish in January 2027.
Businesses along Fifth Avenue are waiting for repaving and restriping the road to bring public parking spots back. (Photo by Adrian Childress/Times of San Diego)While the construction site disappeared a month ago, the affected businesses are waiting for the road to be repaved and striped. Access has improved, but not parking.
No work is currently under way, but the sidewalks remain red with no parking zones available until a bike lane is added. After that there will be floating parking.
The waiting is just the latest frustration these businesses face. Many have spoken out about perceived communication issues with the city.
“It was definitely an inconvenience, but I think the issue was more that the city wasn’t willing to discuss with the businesses how they can help us get through that time. They just sort of said, ‘Well, tough luck,’” Robertson said. “They have the right to do that… but it didn’t feel very kind to the businesses.”
Robertson estimated that she lost $60,000 during the construction as tourists visiting Balboa Park found other places to get coffee. It was her local customer base that kept her afloat, despite the construction acting as a deterrent.
“We had to close our doors a lot, and the patio seating became unusable,” she said. “People come here to relax, have coffee, maybe study, enjoy a lunch, and you had so much noise and drilling and hammering, and it was just chaos.”
Beauty by Dolly, a sugaring and waxing spa down the road, had similar issues with a relaxing experience being disrupted.
The salon’s doors stayed closed during the months of construction. Clients who already struggled to find parking found new providers entirely. Owner Natashah Abrishamchian fears they will never come back, even once some of the parking is added back.
“What was the most upsetting was that the city did nothing to try to make it better or easier for any of the businesses,” said Abrishamchian, owner of Beauty by Dolly. “They could have absolutely taken the time to work things out in a way that did not put so much stress and negative impact on the business, however, they simply didn’t.”
Hash House A Go Go estimates it lost between $28,000 to $40,000 per month during construction on Fifth Avenue, tort filings show. (Photo by Adrian Childress/Times of San Diego)Beauty by Dolly, Divo Diva Cafe, and several businesses filed tort claims with the city to recoup losses. However, the city rejected those claims.The city does not comment on individual litigation and claims.
The tort claims did not surprise Benjamin Nicholls, executive director of Hillcrest Business Association, who shared in March that the construction contractor and city communications were causing problems.
“The businesses are suffering through a hostile construction contractor who barely communicates,” Nicholls said at the time. “(The) stormwater project is sort of like the poster child for doing it wrong.”
Public records requests show just how much the construction affected revenue in those filings. The tort claim for Hash House A Go Go claimed revenue was down over $40,000 in February, a 17.8% loss over a three year rolling average.
May was less dire for the long-standing restaurant, with a 9.5% loss of $28,000.
That was for a well-known institution, though. For fledgling enterprises, the situation was more dire. Curry Nation held its grand opening in December, two days after the project began, opening its doors to a construction site.
Businesses must file a lawsuit if they want to fight to recoup the losses, something some of them are still weighing because of the high cost.
If any of those businesses go forward with a lawsuit, the $7 million project, spurred by a court case, would spur a court case of its own. The city had to do the construction after a legal settlement over significant flooding on properties near Fifth Avenue and Brookes Avenue.
Now that the heaviest work is over, Robertson said she is trying to stay positive, especially while opening a second location in Little Italy.
“We’re just really happy now that they’re gone,” Robertson said. “And we can’t wait for parking to come back.”
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