A Vancouver business on Broadway Street will close its doors for good at the end of the month due to the impact of construction of a new subway line.
Surinder Sangha, the owner of the Subway restaurant, says it will close because business has dropped more than 75 percent since construction on the project began.
He has been running his business for more than 13 years.
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“During the pandemic, the government gave me some support, but now nothing for more than a year and a half,” she said.
“The city is not doing anything right now, I talked to my accountant to ask about help from the province, but they said there is no help.”
Sangha said she believes the loss of parking and the closing of other businesses has severely reduced the number of customers coming in.
To make matters worse for Sangha, she said her landlord wants to increase the rent by more than 50 percent in March, something she says is not feasible for her business.
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Global News reached out to the City of Vancouver about their thoughts on closing Subway restaurants.
“We know that the last few years have been a real struggle for local businesses. The COVID restrictions and changes in work habits in the area have definitely affected the number of people visiting the busy construction area where the Subway branch is located,” said Steve Brown, City of Vancouver Transit Integration and Projects Branch Manager.
“That’s why we’re doing everything we can to provide support, such as our online campaign Support Broadway Businesses, and we encourage everyone to continue visiting businesses along the Broadway corridor.”
He continued, “While the province is taking the lead on this project, we continue to work hard to mitigate the impact of construction on Broadway businesses.”
The City of Vancouver has implemented a number of measures to help businesses in the area:
- Working with businesses to change parking regulations – providing more short term parking for users
- Installed loading zones on side streets such as Yukon St, Granville St and Cypress St to facilitate quick pick up/drop off and delivery
- Advocacy to improve signage for businesses that have become less visible due to construction
- Liaising regularly with technical staff in the province to review the Broadway Corridor and ensure safe and accessible pedestrian access for businesses
- Coordinating implementation by parking lot management in loading zones to assist with business deliveries and short-term parking
The planned completion date of Vancouver’s Broadway subway has been pushed back to early 2026.
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