Businesses trying to tough out South Park Bridge closure

Bill Owens, a longtime resident and businessman in South Park, turned off the clock outside his business at 7:56 p.m. June 30, the day the South Park Bridge shut down.

He vowed not to restart it until a new bridge goes up, but he was overruled by his landlord.

Owens, owner of Seattle Canine Outfitters, also rents out 300 mailboxes at his shop on 14th Avenue South.

He said his business is down 25 percent since the bridge closed.

Across South Park, home to about 2,000 people, business owners say the closure of the bridge has hurt but not killed them. At least not yet.

"We're still here," said Otto Porco who, with his mother, runs Napoli Pizzeria on 14th Avenue South. Business was so slow one day last week, the restaurant shut down.

"We're going to try to hang on," said Josephine Porco. "We're still paying our bills so far."

Her daughter, Maria, runs a coffee shop next door, the first sit-down shop in South Park. So far, said Maria Porco, her business is doing well because of all the locals who support it.

"The bad thing is the bridge is closed," she said. "The good news is that people are coming and supporting each other. And I make good coffee."

King County closed the 79-year-old bridge June 30 because its concrete is failing and its pilings weren't sunk into solid footings when it was built. The 2001 Nisqually earthquake caused major damage, and the Federal Highway Administration gave the bridge one of the worst safety ratings in the state.

The bridge crosses the Duwamish River and provides a vital link between East Marginal Way South and Highway 99.

In February the federal government rejected the county's request for $99 million in stimulus money to pay for most of the replacement costs, giving money instead to Seattle's Mercer Street project.

Officials say a new bridge will cost about $130 million, and a recent push by various state and local agencies has pledged $100 million to replace it.

Last month the county applied for another stimulus grant, under the Tiger II program, for $36.2 million for the remaining funds to replace the bridge.

The county hopes to hear by this month whether it has won the grant, said Chris Arkills, transportation-policy adviser with the county.

"We think we have a very competitive application," Arkills said. "We've got it down to the level where Patty [Murray] can fight for it with good confidence," he said of the state's senior U.S. senator.

He said the main competition for the grant is an application from Sound Transit to extend light rail from the airport to South 200th Street.

"The minute we get the Tiger grant, we're ready to go out to bid," Arkills said. "It's 100 percent shovel ready."

Already the county has demolished buildings nearby and removed leaves from the bridge as part of demolition. "If we don't get the Tiger grant, it will be very, very difficult," he said.

Still, it's expected to take at least two years to rebuild the bridge. Some of the business people aren't sure they can survive.

"We're still here, but it's tough," said Gudev Singh, who owns the South Park 76 gas station and an attached Subway sandwich shop. He said gas sales are down 30 percent since the bridge closed and Subway sales down about 25 percent. He's had to cut his employees' hours.

"We've got a lot of good people coming to support us," said Singh, who has owned his business since 1995. "It is amazing. We have no choice, but we'll try to tough it out and stay here. Winter scares me, but I'm going to cross my fingers. Miracles happen all the time."

Julia Ramos, who owns Jalisco Restaurant, said she's seen a 30 percent drop in her lunch business, primarily from once-loyal Boeing employees who now face a longer drive to South Park with the bridge gone.

"So far, knock on wood, customers are still coming," Ramos said.

Jennifer Rustkowski, a Boeing employee who was eating at Ramos' restaurant, said she's willing to put up with the extra 10 minutes it takes her to drive to South Park. "The food is good, and they're good to their customers," she said.

Wendy Prekeges, another Boeing employee, agreed. "Of all the alternatives, this is the best," she said.

Arkills said King County is encouraging employees to patronize South Park businesses, "and a bunch of us went down for lunch last week. We try to go once a month."

And the city has published a brochure, "Getting Around without the bridge in South Park," encouraging visitors to eat at neighborhood restaurants and explore historical structures and other South Park sites.

For now the county can do little more than wait for the decision on the Tiger money. Andrew Glass Hastings, the county's government-relations administrator, said the county is "cautiously optimistic" it will get the federal money.

Because it has support from Gov. Chris Gregoire, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and some regional agencies, he believes the county has a good chance of winning the money. If the federal government awards the bridge some money, but it falls short of the $30 million, the county has pledged to make up the difference, Glass Hastings said.

Meanwhile, some South Park residents have questioned the need for a new bridge.

Resident Craig Ackerman said since the bridge closed, the neighborhood has been quieter and cleaner and crime has gone down.

"When the bridge closed, it effectively cut off the criminal element that has plagued South Park," he said. "It's quieter and cleaner and safer on 14th without a bridge."

Arkills said he knows there are some in South Park who have questioned a need for a bridge, but most residents feel they do.

"That's there's less crime, less noise, and the neighborhood is much more peaceful is undeniably true," Arkills said, "but what's missing is what makes South Park a vibrant place with the mix of industry, residential and retail, and sooner or later if there's no bridge, industry will leave South Park. For long-term sustainability, South Park people firmly believe they need a bridge."

Owens, of Seattle Canine Outfitters, said the community needs to do a better job of marketing itself.

"When we closed the bridge we lost 20,000 cars and trucks through the neighborhood," he said. "These are our customers. We need to come up with a marketing campaign. Why would people want to come here?"

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