Companies say they can't survive if Alaskan Way shut

If the Alaskan Way Viaduct is closed for six years while it's replaced, what will happen to the waterfront businesses along Alaskan Way?

"This will become a dead zone for a very, very long time," Argosy Cruises' John Blackman on Wednesday told an expert review panel looking at plans for the viaduct replacement.

Other waterfront-business owners echoed Blackman's concern, worried that construction and road closures will keep away customers.

"We will not survive this process," Bob Donegan, president of Ivar's Seafood, told panel members. "This will put us out of business."

Donegan said that 70 percent of the company's summertime customers come from out of town, an average of 500 miles away, and that if they have to walk three blocks they won't come. He estimates he'll lose 75 to 90 percent of his business during construction.

Donegan asked the panel to look not only at the financial aspects of the viaduct plans, but also the lost retail revenue and disruption.

Ron Paananen, the viaduct-project manager for the state Department of Transportation (DOT), said the state is "behind the information curve" on how viaduct reconstruction will affect businesses.

Paananen said the state met with waterfront businesses a month ago to talk about construction plans. He said the state has assigned a DOT worker just to work with businesses on the viaduct.

"We're going to look at the impacts and how we can mitigate them," Paananen said. "We're just at the beginning of how to work with businesses and do our best to make sure they're viable during construction. It's an immense task."

The state said the viaduct likely will be closed from three to six years during construction of either a new viaduct or tunnel, the two leading options for replacement.

Robert Davidson, CEO of the Seattle Aquarium Society, told the panel that the aquarium supports replacing the viaduct with a tunnel but worries about disruption along the waterfront.

"This is a tremendous existing economic part of the city," he said. "We have to be careful not to destroy it."

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com