SAN DIEGO — Rosa’s Ice Cream and Fruit Bar, a local business along University Avenue, is facing significant challenges due to ongoing construction that has drastically reduced available parking for customers. Owned by Emelia and Francisco Frias, the shop has been a dream come true for the couple, but the impact of construction, which began nine months ago, is threatening their livelihood.
“We’re struggling because of the lack of parking,” said Emelia Frias. “Customers don’t come in because there’s nowhere to park, nothing.”
The construction project, part of the University Avenue Complete Streets Project, aims to enhance safety in the area with improvements such as roundabouts, raised medians, and asphalt overlays. However, for Rosa’s Ice Cream and other local businesses, it has resulted in the loss of parking spaces in front of the shop, across the street, and in the nearby lot, leaving only one parking space available.
Emelia and Francisco explained that the construction has caused daily disruptions. Customers are unable to visit, and delivery drivers are unwilling to pick up orders due to the lack of available stopping spots. As a result, the couple has had to dip into their savings to keep the business running, with Francisco even working an additional job to pay the bills.
“Before the construction started, we were making $50 a day in sales,” Francisco said. “Now, we barely have any customers.”
With two more months of construction expected on University Avenue, including the creation of a roundabout at University and Menlo, which will close both lanes for about nine weeks, the couple is worried they may have to close the business.
While the city has assured that traffic and parking will improve after the completion of the project in the spring, Emelia’s son-in-law, Abraham, expressed concern about whether the business will survive long enough to benefit from these changes.
“I’m sure it’s going to look really nice outside, don’t get me wrong,” Abraham said. “But the question is, what businesses are going to remain here before they’re finished?”
In response to the difficulties faced by Rosa’s Ice Cream and other local businesses, the City of San Diego encouraged affected businesses to file claims with the risk management department. Emelia and Francisco are exploring this option, but they remain uncertain about the future of their business.
“I hope we can find a place to move if we don’t get better here,” Francisco said, expressing concern about the uncertainty that looms over their business.
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