Businesses get creative amid South New Hope work

Brent Messer knew he would be looking at orange barrels in front of his South New Hope Road jewelry studio for at least a year. And he knew traffic would only get more congested as the city of Gastonia widens a half-mile stretch of the busy street from Burtonwood Drive to Garrison Boulevard.

But instead of sitting by and letting the roadwork impede business, Messer decided to get creative. Messer’s store, Facet Foundry Jewelry Studio, and a weight loss and skin care center called The Medical Spa, went in together for a sign that plays off construction.

Now, as drivers pass the orange barrels heading south, they’re greeting with a “body contouring zone” sign, and drivers headed north see a “jewelry construction zone” sign for Facet Foundry.

“I’m trying to take ownership of it,” Messer said. “... This is the jewelry construction zone. We do custom jewelry repair and restoration — we’ve been known for that for 26 years.”

He’s also had some fun, going as far as recording a YouTube video of him panning for gold in the dirt in front of his business in the 500 block of South New Hope Road.

So far, he says, it’s “hard to say” whether there’s been any impact from the construction.

“We still have customers coming in,” Messer said. “I’m not taking it for granted. I’m doing everything I can to create activity, take care of customers, and provide the good service and products that we always have. We’re getting more customers from Charlotte that come to us also. If they’re driving all the way over here, (the construction) is not going to stop them.”

The $5.7 million project, which will widen South New Hope to five lanes in the area, is expected to be complete by May 2019. The state Department of Transportation awarded the construction to Triangle Grading and Paving. Most of the work so far has focused on relocation of utility lines.

In neighboring Talbot’s, a women’s clothing store, business has not slowed.

Store manager Kathy McAllister was concerned at first, and took photos of the construction to show her district manager, anticipating a drop in business.

“We felt it would be a negative impact on business, but it’s been the opposite,” McAllister said.

Sales there have been up for the last two months.

“But a lot of our customers have commented on it,” she said.

Messer said the city has been cooperative, at one point promptly moving a portable toilet that had been set up in front of the shops.

“Once it’s finished, I think it’s going to be good, because we have witnessed several wrecks,” Messer said.

You can reach Dashiell Coleman at 704-869-1819 or on Twitter @DashiellColeman