Dondi Carder, an owner of Unsung Salvage Design Co., which restores and repurposes objects for interior design and home furnishings, said his wife found the map and posted it on top of Unsung Salvage’s Facebook page to help people find their favorite stores at a time when Main Street was closed to traffic.
Crews have been working to replace aging water mains along Main Street, and soon will be connecting those mains to other water pipes, in a move that officials hope will give the mains an additional 100 years of life, with greater capacity.
When that work is done, Main Street will again be fully reopened, but dust will continue to be stirred as crews then work to beautify area sidewalks, with attractive street and sidewalk lighting.
The $3.2 million water upgrade and beautification are in advance of the start of construction of the proposed Spooky Nook at Champion Mill, a large indoor sports and recreation facility. Hamilton leaders expect the Main Street area to develop into a dining and entertainment district that will be needed to service the tens of thousands of visiting athletes and their families expected during weekends.
Bill Herren, one of the owners of Main Street Vinyl, estimated business has been down 35 percent for his store during construction. Some people, frustrated with getting to stores, have been staying away, he said.
The map not only shows which businesses are in which blocks of Main and other streets, but also provides locations of various types of parking — parking along streets and in public lots, private business lots, and at the Miami School, where parking is free after 5 p.m. and on weekends.
Mallory Greenham, small business development specialist for Hamilton, said the city created the first version of the map showing parking areas, and the Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce added more information to help people find parking near specific businesses.
The city also has installed permanent directional parking signs to help people find public lots, Greenham said.
Carder, of Unsung Salvage, said the map of the Main Street area should help drivers find their preferred businesses. One helpful tip he offers is to be willing to use alleys.
“There are people who use the alleys just like they’re streets,” he said, noting that can be handy during construction.
Greenham said the city also has placed temporary signs at entrances to alleys, as a way to help people find parking behind businesses.
“There is adequate parking,” Carder said.
To download the map, visit the Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce website at www.hamilton-ohio.com
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