As LRT process edges along, King Street businesses say they're not getting the info they need

Metrolinx staff have been going door-to-door to King Street businesses in Hamilton in recent weeks, in advance of the construction of the city's light-rail transit line, expected to start next year.

The $3.4-billion project will see 17 stops run along 14 kilometres between McMaster University and Eastgate, alternately on King and Main streets. 

But businesses along the route say the recent visits from Metrolinx haven't come with answers to some big questions, such as when they should expect construction on their section of King Street, and what kind of support — if any — will be available for them if they struggle.

Some businesses say they'll move to a new location when construction begins, so knowing when their section of the street will be ripped up well in advance is crucial.

Camille Malabre, owner of Amorphous Hair Studio says she can't expect her clients to enter the salon through a back alley — the solution she says Metrolinx representatives proposed — so wants to know when to pack up.

"There's nothing nice about an alleyway," said Malabre, whose business is located in downtown Hamilton's International Village business improvement area.

"Is the city then also allotting money to deal with snow [and] ice removal" to keep the alley safe, she wondered. She says she hasn't been given those types of answers.

An ardent opponent of the LRT project, Malabre says she'd rather see money spent on homelessness, empty storefronts and other social issues that are obvious downtown. 

"We have bigger problems to deal with."

Major construction work slated for next year

CBC Hamilton contacted Metrolinx several times over more than a week, asking for the transit organization's most updated timeline for the project; whether business owners can expect the work to be done in sections at a time, and what kind of support they may receive.

The organization did not respond to CBC's specific questions or request for an interview, but provided the following statement:

"We know how important business supports are to successfully delivering the Hamilton LRT project. It's why [we] have already been working with the city, Chamber of Commerce and BIAs to plan for construction — and why we'll continue to work closely together as we approach the major construction phase. As the project moves forward, we will continue engaging with the community and businesses about the construction and our business support strategy."

Meanwhile, the City of Hamilton deferred questions to Metrolinx.

Metrolinx said on its social media channels in late November that "community connectors" would be "visiting 1500 properties" along the LRT route to discuss the project.

On Dec. 8, it said a community office would open in the space of the former Royal Connaught hotel at King and John streets to "engage with residents, businesses, and community groups through all phases of the project." It said the office opening date would be announced sometime in early 2023. 

In July, Hamilton's LRT director Abdul Waheed Shaikh said major construction work for the LRT would begin in 2024. He said the procurement process was to start in late 2022, and for it to go to tender this year. 

"In terms of major construction, they are planning to do it in 2024," he told council's LRT sub-committee. "Before 2024, there will be some early works by the City of Hamilton, and there will be some early works by other third party utilities." 

'They think Hamilton is booming... Downtown is dead'

Down King Street from Amorphous Hair, Shakiel Baig is worried the LRT project will put his shop, Rock 'N' Tees, out of business after nearly 40 years in the same location.

He says it's already hard to get walk-in traffic, noting many customers stop in after noticing the shop's colourful sneakers and myriad of t-shirts while driving by. Without traffic on the street during construction, and possibly fewer parking spots after it's finished, he's worried.

"People don't come downtown," he said on Jan. 17, working alongside his adult son in the shop. "In the eyes of the city hall people, all the council, they think Hamilton is booming… Downtown is dead."

The father and son noted that while they have had visits from Metrolinx, they haven't heard when construction might start on their section of the road. They have, however, been told it will last about a year, but Baig believes it will likely take longer.

"The LRT is going to destroy the city," he said.

'It will make us stronger long-term': Chamber

Greg Dunnett, president and CEO of Hamilton's Chamber of Commerce, says that while a majority of the chamber's membership is supportive of the LRT, he is sympathetic to the fears of those along the construction route.

His organization has prepared a series of "LRT-ready" seminars, in partnership with Metrolinx, to help businesses know what to expect and hear from other cities's experiences such as Waterloo and Oakville. It has also worked to help businesses take their sales online to help mitigate streetscape closures — the same Digital Main Street program many businesses accessed during the pandemic when shops had to close then as well.

He says one of the best things businesses can do to prepare is to start the conversation with customers about ways they can continue to support the business during construction, whether that's through online sales, delivery, or entering shops through a back door.

Dunnett says many chamber members have said that better transportation options across the city are necessary in order for them to properly staff their operations. He sees LRT as a solution, particularly with significant population growth expected throughout the city.  

"It's a transformative project for our community," he said. Despite the clear challenges associated with construction, "it will make us stronger long-term."

'Nothing new in regards to information'

Riley Hildebrandt, manager of Glassbox Barbershop, says he feels similarly about the project — he's looking forward to the result, but not the headaches in between. 

He says Metrolinx workers visited his shop, on King Street West near Victoria Park, in the last couple of weeks but didn't have much to share.

"It was essentially told nothing new in regards to information," he told CBC Hamilton earlier this month. 

"They presented me with a map of where it will run along King Street. The map was, from what I could tell, the same one I received about four or five years ago upon hearing about the potential LRT system," he said.