Planned road construction on Valley Court in May could damage businesses that depend on the parking.
Valley Court will be closed all summer, leaving customers at Crunchy’s without a place to park, said Dave Milligan, the establishment’s owner.
“That is where most of our parking is and our (customers) won’t even be able to get to our parking lot,” he said.
The construction will take place directly behind the restaurant, 254 W. Grand River Ave., and will widen sidewalks along Valley Court and extend Delta Street from Grand River Avenue to Valley Court.
While city officials have been helpful with his business, Milligan said 80 percent of Crunchy’s summer business is from families who stop in for lunch and dinner.
“The bottom line is moving our parking as far away as it is, is going to be pretty damaging for our lunch and dinner hours,” he said.
City officials are remaining optimistic that parking will not feel that much of an affect from the construction.
“The odds are street parking will remain in similar fashion to what it is now,” said John Matuszak, engineering administrator for the city.
Matuszak estimates only four to five parking spaces will be taken away from the area. But the loss also may cause a shift to other portions that are experiencing a lull in business.
In the spring of 1998, parking facilities were 73 percent full at peek hours of the day. The number dropped to 59 percent this spring.
Parking slumps in the city have been blamed on increasing campus parking options and the slow startup of City Center facilities.
But, there is other parking available in the metered spaces near the construction, said Jim van Ravensway, director of planning for the city.
“There is hardly ever cars parking there,” he said. “If you are determined to go to Crunchy’s you will walk there, but (the construction) will be disruptive.”
But some students don’t see where parking will be improved by the construction.
Robert Madson has trouble parking his car already, he said.
“There is a chance I won’t be able to use this park as much,” he said.
The computer engineering junior uses the Valley Court Park for paying Frisbee and baseball.
“I come here three and four times a week,” he said. “A lot of people that go to the bars will have less parking. I don’t see why they are doing this.”
And extending Delta Street will make the area a lot more congested, education junior Juliann Olijace said.
“If they reduce parking it will cause more drinking and driving,” she said. “People that cannot find parking spaces will begin to drive farther.”
