Construction claims first business

Even before the first barricade has been placed, one business on the 1300 block of Main Street is shutting its doors for good, because of impending construction project on that stretch of road.

“The economy was already slowing business,” said Beth Ealing, owner of Max’s Dog Bakery. “But the construction was the last straw.”

Ealing plans to close her doors either this week or the first week of June. Her bakery case, filled with dog-friendly goodies, will be going to the Animals by Nature pet store on Mango Avenue.

The rest of her business will be moving online to a new website, www.maxsdogbakery.com, that she hopes to unveil within the next two weeks.

Ealing is making the change because the 1300 block of Main Street (half of the block at a time) will be closed to traffic the entire month of June for a waterline replacement. (See box below.)

The road is scheduled to open by June 30, but then the Five Points intersection will close for construction of a roundabout.

Many business owners downtown are fearful of the effect the closures will have on sales.

Ealing says people have asked her why she didn’t try to sell the business.

“I love what I do,” she said. “I don’t want to sell.”

She has a lot of regular customers from her Main Street shop that she hopes will now visit her virtual store.

Ealing will offer free delivery to those local customers, and she also hopes to attract national sales.

“This may turn out to be a good thing for me,” she said.

Halftime Show
The contractor for the Main Street waterline project, Jon F. Swift Inc., said the impact on businesses won’t be nearly as bad as expected. Instead of closing the whole 1300 block for the entire month of June, it will only close half of the block at a time, and it may be able to complete the project in half the time.

Project facts:
• June 1 to June 15 Palm Avenue to Mira Mar Court scheduled to be closed
• June 15 to June 30 Mira Mar Court to Five Points scheduled to be closed
• Miramar Court will remain open at all times
• Detour runs from Palm Avenue to Ringling Boulevard to Pineapple Avenue
• Evening valet service until June 27 at Pineapple Avenue and Five Points Park and Palm Avenue and Main Street
• A third valet location, at Lemon Avenue and Main Street, will be added from June 28 to Sept. 5

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].