Construction in Ligonier's Diamond frustrating business owners

LIGONIER, Pa. — The heart of Ligonier, the historic Diamond area, is undergoing a major renovation, and the construction is causing a lot of strain on local businesses.

“Foot traffic definitely has slowed down major because people don’t want to go thru the Diamond,” said Jennifer Tuschong of Allegory Gallery.

Local businesses like the gallery and Song of Sixpence are noticing a dent in sales.

“It’s been affecting us, but I think the weather has a lot to do with it,” said Natalie Cheek, who owns Song of Sixpence. “But during the week, I’ve seen a dramatic decrease in foot traffic.”

“It’s very important everybody keeps in mind we’re still open,” said Councilwoman Mariah Fisher. “Sidewalks will never be shut down.”

The borough, Chamber of Commerce and local business owners are now working together to come up with ways to combat the temporary inconveniences caused by construction.

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“We’re all working together,” Cheek said. “We put together a block party on Main Street on May 5, but I just talked to chamber and it’s now become a town-wide event.”

"We have to push and push, and say, 'Hey, we're still here and still alive, we got a lot of sales going on, we haven't changed, you just have to change your way of getting here,'" Tuschong said.

“I think we all want to work together to see us thrive at the end of this and once it is done, it’s going to be really beautiful,” Fisher said.

Cox Media Group