Story Created:
Dec 4, 2009
Story Updated:
Dec 4, 2009
ST. FRANCIS - A popular restaurant says it will have to shut down if a new road construction plan goes on as scheduled.
It's Friday night and the Carlton Grange Pub is hopping, but the restaurant says a new city project will shut them down.
Carlton Grange sits on Packard Avenue. Federal stimulus money is paying to upgrade the street for development. That includes new curbs, entrances and bumpouts. It'll mean 6 months of construction and in the end 27 fewer parking spots.
The small parking lot on the restaurant's property only has about 10 places for people to park. But, Mike Frazen, the owner, says the city promised the owners lots of street parking.
City Administrator Ralph Voltner balks at the idea the funding will put the restaurant out of business. Instead, he says it'll bring new economic development to a vital section of St. Francis.
"I believe in the long run, maybe not in the short run, this will help all of the businesses in the area," says Voltner.
Only time will tell if the project brings new jobs or puts the restaurant's employees out of work.
