Greg Forester, Staff Writer
A looming Monday shutdown of electrical current for structures along Spring Street and another road closure have roiled local merchants who say the shutdown, related to construction on the former Tulane Street parking lot site, will create adverse business conditions.
The shutdown, which is expected to last from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, comes because a crane slated for steel beam work at the site is prohibited from working within 10 feet of overhead electrical lines, due to federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. Work to move the lines underground has yet to be completed, meaning the only way for crane work to move forward is a shutdown of electrical current. The work is an important step in the construction of a 75,000-square-foot steel and masonry structure housing 56 apartments and a 4,000-square-foot grocery store.
Borough officials and the developer have promoted the project’s eventual effects — more downtown residents and shoppers — but presently local business owners are annoyed, facing the prospect of more lost customers and profits.
”Nine stores,” said David Rosendorf, owner of the Frame Shoppe on Spring Street “They are all going to close because they won’t have lights.”
The closures are the latest annoyance for Mr. Rosendorf, who said his business already endured road closures and other issues when the nearby library and other projects were going on. He said he expects similar conditions in the coming weeks as the work continues.
”We can’t do a thing,” Mr. Rosendorf said.
Other merchants in the Spring Street area expressed similar opinions when asked about the shutdown.
”In the economy of today, (the shutdown) is hurting everybody,” said Armida Bella, manager of Chelsea Crimpers, a hair salon on Spring Street.
Jon Lambert, general manager of the Princeton Record Exchange, said the electrical shutdown is only compounding problems associated with the construction work, which already displaced dozens of parking spaces near his business.
He said additional closures threatens to displace customers who have begun to adjust to parking in Spring Street garage.
”We have undoubtedly lost some customers,” Mr. Lambert said.
Also, the Princeton Record Exchange’s business of purchasing second-hand CDs and other items has suffered because of a lack of convenient parking for people, who sometimes lug hundreds of CDs to his Tulane Street shop.
”Our collections have temporarily fallen off,” Mr. Lambert said.
For their part, borough officials said Jack Morrison of the Nassau HKT development company and construction officials tried to work out a solution with Public Service Electric & Gas to avoid the shutdowns, to no avail.
”Since we can’t get a definitive date from PSE&G on when they will do that, it is not practical to have the project lie dormant,” said Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi.
Mr. Bruschi said Mr. Morrison was making his rounds this past week, visiting business owners and trying to work out solutions to make the shutdown “more palatable.”
”As a business person he recognizes the impacts,” Mr. Bruschi said.
Shop owners confirmed speaking to Mr. Morrison, and that there was a possibility of bringing in electrical generators to power some of the stores through the shutdown’s Monday hours.
