Some businesses in Hillcrest say city construction projects are taking a toll on their bottom line, and they’ve filed a claim against the city.
“They put these two green screen fences up that are blocking our entire visibility for two blocks,” said Victoria Robertson, co-owner of Divo Diva Cafe on Fifth Avenue.
Robertson says this has led to a decline in sales.
“At least 20 to 30% is being left on the table; this is a big deal for a little coffee shop like us. We are only two years old,” she said.
And she is not the only business affected by the construction.
“It’s been hard to get guests in our door when parking isn’t easily available,” says Karen, who is the manager of Cocina de Barrio on Fifth Avenue. “We used to have 5-10 walk-ins a week; now we don’t get any.”
Two businesses are filing a claim against the city for monetary damages.
“By the way, the city staged the construction; they did nothing to mitigate its effect on the business owners, and these businesses are losing money, so this is a claim from the business for money damages,” said Maria Severson, the attorney representing the businesses.
The estimated $7 million storm drain project is an effort to prevent flooding for residents and businesses in the area. The city said they notified businesses about the project through mailers in May 2025, before starting in April 2025.
But businesses say they didn’t see anything until recently.
“We didn’t hear anything else about it for six months, until December 1, right before the holidays,” Robertson said.
Curry Nation opened just days after, and it’s been so slow he’s had to personally take on last month’s costs.
“I used my personal money to pay for the rent and payroll,” Manspreet Singh said.
Current barriers on the street could be removed in Spring 2026. The project is expected to be completed in October 2026.
NBC 7 has reached out to the city for comment, but stated it does not comment on pending litigation. The city does have 45 days to respond to the claim filed by the businesses.
