Financial aid wanted amid Howard Avenue construction

A local business owner is calling on Windsor for financial support, citing losses from the ongoing Howard Ave. construction. Stefanie Masotti has the latest.

A local business owner is calling on the City of Windsor for financial support, citing ‘significant losses in sales’.

Chris Stoiantsis, owner of Tommy’s Bar-B-Q said the loss in sales are from the ongoing construction on Howard Avenue.

“Since the construction has started, we’ve lost about 35 to 40 per cent of business,” he said.

“We’ve had to lay some people off and shorten some hours because we’re just not getting the traffic that we are used to.”

The construction started in August of 2024, with the goal of easing traffic flow near Devonshire Mall.

Neighbouring stores share the same frustrations.

“I was working around 20 to 25 [hours] a week, but due to construction, it’s like 12ish hours,” said Meghan Saunders, an employee at The Mission Thrift Store.

Donations have also dropped at the store.

“Customers aren’t coming in just because we’re so hidden already, and people are trying to avoid the construction, so they aren’t even entering this area,” Saunders added.

Stoiantsis said the impact is bigger than most think.

“We started circulating a petition through the restaurant, just to get the customers’ opinions and views, their thoughts of the construction,” he said.

“We’ve roughly collected about 200 signatures from discouraged customers regarding the travel and the construction conditions on Howard Avenue.”

Stoiantsis is now calling on the city for financial help.

“We feel that if Windsor wants to thrive with small businesses, they need to come up with some sort of plan to help support these small businesses during these long duration projects, which many are unprepared for,” he continued.

Saunders said she is clinging to hope and waiting it out, hoping the community will come together to support impacted businesses.

At the time of publishing this article, the City of Windsor did not get back to CTV News with a statement.