The scaffolding surrounding the Walter Scott Building in downtown Moose Jaw will soon be coming down.
“We are actually just about to finish the windows. By the end of January, they will be 100 per cent complete,” said Shaheen Zareh, president of Zarkor, the company overseeing the conversion of the building into affordable housing units. “As soon as the windows are complete, the scaffolding will come down.”
News of the scaffolding coming down is pleasing for the businesses operating out of the Walter Scott Building’s ground level, as well.
"It has affected our business," said Katherine Purdy, co-owner of Coffee Encounters. "We've had people come in and say they didn't know we were open, so I'm sure others didn't know and didn't come in."
Purdy said the employees at her business "will be very glad to have it come down" because of other concerns, as well.
"We've had customers who were afraid it wasn't safe, because it isn't well constructed," she said.
Brandon Richardson, the owner of Déjà Vu Cafe, said his business was impacted heavily by the presence of the scaffolding.
“There has been a huge decline in business, definitely,” he said. “From January to August, business was excellent. But the day the messy scaffolding went up, and from September through December, business has declined massively.”
“It’s a very bad situation,” he added. “It’s not good for business, and the scaffolding does not look professional ... we will be very happy when it comes down.”
For more, pick up tomorrow's issue of the Times-Herald.
