shutterboo

I work on a stretch of Main Street where some sort of construction has been going on for quite some [forever long] time.  Walking by foot through this stretch of downtown has been like a playing a video game; detouring with certain lengths of the sidewalk being closed, shirking around fences and hoping not to be taken out by a side view mirror, shimmying past construction signs that block the pathway.

It started with the new YUM! arena at the Second Street Bridge.  Then the condemned buildings at Main and First caused barricades to flank the street.  Then Patrick O’Shea’s manifested (but I can’t complain because they worked really fast and they have sweet potato fries).  The BBC liked that idea and started construction on a new bar across from the arena.  And the old green Arctic Ice building is getting a much needed face lift between Brook and Floyd.  And a lot of pavement was ground up for what I’m assuming is for the arena and the ugly condo building going in further west on Main.  All of this is at play (sans O’Shea’s) at this very moment.  But oh no, it wasn’t enough.

Now… now we see that sidewalks are closed so that sidewalks can be ripped up and replaced with prettier sidewalks lined with marble.  (WTF?)  Causing both sides of Main Street to be closed on three blocks.  They’ve kindly put up detour signs so that we know where to walk around, making the trek three times longer.  How nice of them.  It’s a way for us to enjoy this blistering heat and humidity even more than we normally would.  The kicker is they haven’t started on the sidewalks in front of our building.  Yet.  I’m sure when they do, shit will hit the fan because so many people work in these buildings; that many feet make it hard to rip out anything.  Which is why they haven’t started yet.  (Yet.)

I can’t find out why they’re updating the sidewalks.  Me thinks its to make the area look nicer for when the arena is completed.  But I’m not very savvy at using Google or searching through The Courier Journal so I can’t confirm.  Boo Brooke, boo.

But I feel bad for the local businesses that have set up shop on Main Street between Floyd and Third.  Business has had to slow down.  I don’t think we’ve gone to the shop across the street for our PBR tallboys in weeks.  I know I haven’t made my way out to lunch very much.  Well, Jimmy Johns and Subway are easy to navigate to but Queue?  Queue, I love you but I’m not walking my happy ass a block south to trot down Market Street for a turkey ciabatta panini.  Or anywhere on West Main for that fact because it’s out of my way.  To walk a detour.  In the sun that blazes with the heat of a bazillion aim-n-flames.

There was some light at the end of the tunnel though.  A small protest about the limited sidewalks has prompted the city to create a small pedestrian walkway past the condemned buildings.  I’m sure a lot of folks are happy about this.  I know I’d be happy about it if I ever decided to walk west again.

When will it end?  I have no flippin’ idea but every morning I dream that something is  gone on the drive into town.  As of right now, my dreams aren’t coming true.  *sad face*  But at least it’s Friday.