Construction tightens belts for some Spokane Street business owners

POST FALLS — Construction has been in full swing around the 300 block of Spokane Street since early September, but as the roadwork projects continue, foot traffic to local businesses has suffered. 

Shem Hanks has co-owned the Filling Station with his wife since 2019. He said the unfortunate reality of running a gastropub is that if people aren’t walking through the door, the doors don’t stay open very long. 

With football season in full swing, autumn is usually a profitable time for the business, but Hanks said that isn’t the case this year.   

“September is one of our busiest months. These are usually our ‘gather your acorn’ months for the winter. If individuals can’t get through the door, what do you do?” Hanks said.   

Public Works director John Beacham said they have been trying to encourage patronage of businesses in the construction area, but the $1.3 million roadwork project has expanded beyond the city’s initial plans. The Idaho Transportation Department incorporated an additional paving project, and the work now includes replacing asphalt, repairing sewer manholes at the intersection of Spokane Street/Seltice Way and the Interstate 90 eastbound ramps, and replacing the rail crossing utility casing. 

“Our overall goal is to get in and get out,” Beacham said. 

Hanks said the Filling Station is down about 30% of what it typically brings in at this time of the year. It was down by half, but then a customer who brought her family noticed the empty room and sent out a social media callout, Hanks said. 

Next door at charcuterie shop Kitty G’s, co-owner Ashley Wyatt said they’re only getting about 60% of the business they’ve had since opening in January. 

“It’s really slowed us down,” Wyatt said.   

Beacham said advance notifications of the project are a key tool for the department in raising awareness so planning can occur and through public meetings, city officials have been trying to communicate the scope of the project at regular intervals to anyone potentially affected by the roadwork.   

Wyatt and her husband are counting the days and waiting it out until the project moves away from their business. 

“It’s something that has to get done, and it’s going to make downtown better. We just hope it will be done soon,” Wyatt said.  

Operating out of the same plaza, tattoo artist Tank Sabbath said appointments at the Altered Society Tattoo Company shop have kept up, but they just haven’t gotten any walk-ins since the roadwork began. 

“It’s frustrating to clients to not know how to find us. We’re definitely seeing it affecting clients,” Sabbath said.

The department has been meeting with Hanks to try and mitigate some of the issues. The city has put up signage to direct people toward the business corridor.  

Hanks expressed gratitude for the extra signage supplied by the city to route customers, but he’s hoping they can weather the storm and keep all nine employees on staff. 

“Our plan is to stay as stubborn as possible when it comes to laying people off. As a hope and as a business model, we made it through September hopefully we can make it through October,” Hanks said. 

    Detour traffic signs around the Spokane Street roadwork project in Post Falls.