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Strip District Business Owners Ready For Change, But Worried Loss Of Parking Spaces Could Lead To Decreased Sales

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Nestled between Liberty Avenue and the Allegheny River, The Strip District is as iconic to Pittsburgh as pierogies, Iron, and putting fries on a sandwich. But it also has a chronic problem, "The parking concerns are pretty severe," says Jim Coen the owner of Yinzers.

Of course, that's all the time, but it's about to get even more challenging.

"I would say within a couple of weeks," says Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority Executive Director Bob Weimar.

That's when the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, the PWSA, will restrict the wide open driving on Smallman Street from the 16th Street Bridge to 21st. It will get funneled into a single, narrowed lane in each direction, and the parking on both sides of Smallman starts going away. It's all needed so pipes beneath the asphalt can be replaced.

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(Photo Credit: KDKA)

Coen worries, "We could lose 30 percent of our business."

And Ryan Wilkinson, at Primanti's, agrees they could take a hit.

"During the next few months, when the water lines are being replaced, and there could be some issues for our sales during that time," he said.

But Wilkinson adds the public's loyalty to the Strip District will help.

"We're confident that people are going to continue to support us and continue to support the entire neighborhood," he said.

The business owners are giving full-throated support to the project.

Coen saying, "We're in favor of the project. All the business owners feel good about the project. We feel we'll get more traffic here."

And, over at Primanti Bros., as a fresh batch of fries were mounted on a sandwich and covered with slaw, Wilkinson added, "We're excited what's going to be in the Strip in the years to come, and to see the Strip to continue to evolve."

Wilkinson says the PWSA and the city have been working hard to minimize the impact on the businesses. The PWSA's Weimar says they're addressing the parking concerns.

"We have a parking lot we negotiated with for the weekend, and will provide a shuttle that will help get folks to the business area."

He says that lot is at 15th and Smallman, and they are pursuing another at Smallman and 22nd. The net effect would be more spaces than those closed for the construction.

Weimar says with the coming rebirth of the Strip District Terminal building the work on the water and sewer lines is desperately needed.

"We decided it was best to reconfigure the piping so they are no longer under the building," he said.

Adding to the equation is the number of breaks PWSA has had to deal with in the 36-inch main that runs under Smallman Street and provides fire suppression to a large part of Downtown.

The water and sewer line work should be wrapped up by mid-December. Then, after a couple of months, the City of Pittsburgh will begin it's work to rebuild the surface of the road.

When it's done late in 2019, (yes, that's next year), Smallman Street will have a single lane of traffic in each direction and sidewalks on both sides. Metered parallel parking will replace the current head in parking on both sides of Smallman in the terminal area.

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