Lack of parking impacting businesses

TYLER — Several roads in downtown Tyler have seen an increase in traffic and an impact on parking due to ongoing construction. According to our news partner KETK, College Avenue and Erwin Street are the busiest roads downtown, while Elm Street, near The Foundry, is also closed. This has removed dozens of parking spaces and has made getting to restaurants like Heritage East and Moocho Burrito challenging.

Multiple businesses within the square are reporting dips in sales. Good Vibez Nutrition reports a 20% loss over the past year, Crema reports a 20% decrease, and Heritage East reports a 15% decline in bar revenue. Downtown restaurants and retail say the road projects have affected parking, equipment deliveries, and overall attendance.

Good Vibez Nutrition has started thinking of the resources needed to keep businesses up past this rebuilding period.

“There are grants for small business owners to help cope with construction, so we need to go to the city council and ask for help,” owner Angela Edwards said. “So if they don’t do something to help us out it may be a ghost town, we may be forced to leave.”

The City of Tyler is doing what it can to help businesses and visitors, allowing employees in the area reserve a parking spot for $30 through the city. All parking spaces and both Fair Plaza and Smith County garages are free to use.

For weekend fun on The Square, Tyler has started a weekend shuttle running from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

The City of Tyler encourages downtown business owners to attend its quarterly downtown meetings.

The renovation project should be fully complete by 2028, but College Avenue is estimated to be done this spring.