South End businesses say construction workers are taking up parking, making it hard for customers

CHARLOTTE — Business owners in Charlotte’s South End are asking the city for help. They say construction workers are taking up a lot of the parking making it nearly impossible for customers to find spots and it’s hurting their business.

“Samiches.” “Beer on tap.” “Grab and go.”

The Common Market is the kind of business where customers pop in for something quick. If they can’t, owner Graham Worth says it’s just not worth it to them. They go somewhere else.

“Our business is built on that ‘in and out’ kind of experience,” he told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke.

But Worth says with all the construction going on in that area, especially work on a high-rise a few blocks away, construction workers are taking up most of the parking. He says they arrive around 7 a.m., snatch up the free spots, and stay upwards of 10-11 hours.

“A lot of the feedback we get from customers is that it’s become just impossible to park in South End,” he said. “It’s becoming just a growing problem.”

Worth feels developers should have to build a parking lot or set up a shuttle service for workers, especially if they’re building a massive project.

Worth isn’t just a business owner, he’s a driver too. He says he had so much trouble finding a spot recently that he parked somewhere he thought was OK but got a ticket.

The construction workers aren’t doing anything illegal.

But Stoogenke asked the Charlotte City Council member who represents South End, Tiawana Brown, if there is anything the city can do to free up space for customers.

“I’ll be speaking with my staff, city manager, mayor, other council members, to see what we can do about that,” she said.

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