Worse than COVID shutdown. Pasco businesses in dire straits over overpass closure project

Small business owners in downtown Pasco have a clear message to their fellow Tri-Citians: “We’re open and we need your help.”

Since the city closed five blocks of Lewis Street between 2nd and Oregon avenues a week ago, commerce has quickly ground to a halt for many Latino-owned businesses.

No block has been impacted more than the one that includes Lewis Street Tire & Torres Auto Repair and more than a dozen other businesses. Between 2nd and 1st avenues, city contractors are moving earth to realign Lewis Street onto a new 625-foot bridge.

Owners say if the road closure carries on and business doesn’t recover, they’ll be forced to lay off workers or even close their doors.

“We kind of slipped through the cracks,” Lewis Street Tire manager Valerie Torres said. “Our businesses have been (operating) in the negatives every single day and this is only the first week of an eight-week project.”

Lewis Street Tire is a second-generation, family-owned business. They’ve been a Pasco staple for 30 years now, and have been at their current location for a decade. Torres’ father owns the business and oversees day-to-day operations.

As an automobile retail and repair shop, the Torres’ business relies heavily on Lewis Street’s bustling downtown traffic.

But now that the streets outside their storefront are vacant, revenue is drying up.

Customers say they’re confused about road closure signs — some read “Road Closed, Local Traffic Only” or “Business Open During Construction” — and whether they’re allowed to bring their cars into the shop. Many believe the local businesses are closed.

“We’ve lost all foot traffic due to the road closure and the advertisements of this road closing, unfortunately,” she said.

It costs about $1,500 a day to open and operate Lewis Street Tire. Last Thursday, the fourth day of road closures, they saw just $75 worth of business — one of their worst days on record since COVID shutdowns four years ago.

The closure comes at an especially bad time for the family business. Customers will receive their tax refund checks over the next couple months and many use the extra cash to make repairs on their cars or buy wheels and lift kits. The shop normally will bring in about $60,000 a month during this peak time.

“We prepared for it, we bought lots of inventory and we’re stuck with it,” she said. “No one is coming.”

Angry with the city

Businesses are outraged with the city for what they say has been a lack of communication about the closure and its impacts. The owners rallied at the council meeting this week, pleading for the city to make access changes to Lewis Street and for some type of financial restitution.

Local businesses on the block knew closures were coming, but Torres said they didn’t expect it would impact their operations.

“They never came to talk to us about what to expect,” Torres said. “When I showed up to work on Monday, I was livid. I pulled up and couldn’t even come in.”

She approached city staff with her concerns, but said their immediate solutions didn’t adequately address the loss of business they were suffering. Last Wednesday, she gathered the names of more than a dozen businesses on the block and sent them over to the city, requesting “answers to resolve this issue.”

On Thursday, downtown owners gathered in Lewis Street Tire’s showroom to air their frustrations with city staff, council members and local leaders. Many felt the suggested solutions — to erect signs advertising open businesses and getting the road paved quicker — wouldn’t make them whole.

“It’s sad to think this bridge took years in planning ... and nowhere did you guys consider us,” Torres said.

Some community members also brought up the city’s leftover pandemic-era funds, allocated in the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), as possible relief.

Last month, city staff reported Pasco still had about $1.4 million in ARPA funds that needed to be spent before the end of the year. That money has been earmarked to provide support to the MLK Jr. Center renovation in east Pasco, but it’s not clear if the full amount will be needed. The $6.5 million project has already been fully funded with a mix of Washington state and federal dollars.

The city council voted unanimously Monday night to have city staff investigate potential funding sources that could be used to supplement the businesses’ losses.

City spokesperson Jon Funfar said they understand the concerns by business owners and are committed to addressing them effectively.

“Upon initial contact with these businesses, our team swiftly installed additional signage on barricades indicating that businesses were open. In addition to the existing ‘Local Access Only’ signs, we are preparing to install signs featuring the specific names and logos of businesses in operation, ensuring clear guidance for customers to access these establishments,” Funfar said in a statement.

He says city staff will work to actively help businesses and ensure their operations run smooth through this construction period. The city is also planning a media campaign to inform the community about how they can access these businesses.

“As the situation evolves, we are committed to working closely with affected businesses and the community to ensure minimal disruption and a successful outcome for all parties involved,” Funfar said.

The overpass project has been in development for 25 years, with regular discussions, planning session and meetings having taken place in the past 10 years. The most recent door-to-door outreach with Lewis Street businesses was back in October 2018.

‘Construction has affected everything’

Lewis Street Tire owner Ramiro Torres said it will be impossible to continue normal operations with current road closures.

“We want to gather together as businesses here and see if there is any type of legal help or funds available because we feel ignored by the city,” Torres, 54, said in Spanish through a translator. “They don’t realize how much help we really need.”

Josue Leal, co-owner of U-Payless Auto Glass at 230 West Lewis Street, said commuters used to stop in to get quotes or a quick rock-chip repair for their vehicles.

But the business lost 70% of its foot traffic this past week and is now mostly relying on appointments.

“We are family-owned and a lot of us working here are family. And even though we are family I am going to have to lay somebody off if we reach that point, and that does affect me personally and on a business level because it hurts to have to do that,” he said through a translation.

Luz Nelly Urbina Sanchez serves hot quesadillas, tostadas and tacos from her food truck, Jochos Tacos, parked at the corner of 1st and Lewis. For the past nine years here, she’s been putting her own personal touch, flair and love into the food she cooks

She originally got into the food business several years ago with her husband, who has since passed away. She also operates a brick-and-mortar restaurant a few blocks down.

“I love the idea of the bridge. I know that the area will look more beautiful, but the construction has affected everything,” she said through a Spanish translator.

Sales this week were down 90% as commuters began a detour that takes them around downtown, Urbina Sanchez said, and she fears she will need to lay off her employees here soon in order to weather the loss of revenue.

She’s sad for the families of her employees — who have worked for her for five, six years — but says there may be no other way.

“It affects me because I have a family. This is my only source of income. I am alone — it’s just me and my two kids,” she said. “COVID was not as bad as compared to this. This is worse.”

The thought of closing the doors to her downtown customers brings tears to Urbina Sanchez’s eyes.

“This is very emotional because I’m thinking about this all day, all night. I wake up thinking about this,” she said. “How am I going to manage things? How am I going to pay my rent? There’s a lot of things that are paid in a business, including water. How am I going to pay all of that if nothing comes in?”

“I need help to keep my business open. I don’t want to close my business, I don’t want to lose it,” she said.