Lonely little liquor store falters, surrounded for years by construction chaos

A small family business in Calgary's Beltlineneighbourhood says it's struggling because it's spent three years isolated in a continuous construction zone, with two more years to come.

Tony Gloriahas a small, one-story property at640 10th Ave. S.W. One side is vacant, the site of his former Italian restaurant, which closed in 2012.On the other side isBottega Wines and Spirits, a liquor store that opened in 2014 and is being run by Gloria's son Michael.

But only a month after the liquor store opened, construction crews started building a condo development directly across the street. It may be finished this year.

And just to the east of Gloria's property, crews are erecting the 33-storey Marriott hotel and convention centre. The $100-million development startedabout 18 months ago and is expected to be completed sometime in 2019.

The Glorias say it adds up to five consecutive years of their potential customers and/or leaseesbeing deterred by road closures (on 6th Street, 10th Avenue and 5th Street at various times) as well as sidewalk closures, dust, noiseand more.

"It has been atotal disaster. It's not just me everyone around here is struggling," Tony Gloria said.

"Trucks block my entrance continually. Sometimes I have to drive around the block a few times before I can get into my parking lot.Sometimes I cannot get out.If this is a problem for me, it is also a problem for my customers," he said in an email to CBC Calgary.

Much of the sidewalk in front of the business is also closed, he says.

"Customers are afraid to cross10thAvenue at 6th Street because there are no crosswalksIn order for a pedestrian to get to our store legally, they would have to walk to 8th Street,cross to the north side and then walk an additional twoblocks to arrive at our store.No one is going to do that.People try jaywalking to get across the road but it is very dangerous."

Gloria hasn't been able to lease the space formerly occupied by his restaurant since hotel construction began.

"We used to have the best restaurant in the city," he said."Ralph Klein used to come here all the time."

Tony Gloria says his annual property taxes have climbed from about $35,000 in 2014 to more than $90,000 now.

"It's really tough, and then you have these huge property tax increases, but you know you don't have any kind of compensation or anything towards what's going on in the area," said Michael Gloria.

"You can'tincrease a margin on a bottle of wine by 50 per cent. So it makes it almost impossible to try and be making money here."

Gloria, who is77 and has owned the property for decades, refuses to move.

"I'm not interested to sell," he said.

He has complained to the city, hoping for a property tax reductionor compensation for the loss to his business and damage he alleges the neighbouring construction has caused his building.

City officials said they've maintained some pedestrian access and are in regular talkswith Gloria.

But Gloria denies that he's in regular talks with the city.

"The city's my biggest problem," he said.

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