Drivers heading through Ivanhoe Village should expect more disruption this week as the Florida Department of Transportation’s North Orange Avenue project continues with additional lane closures along the corridor.
The $5.5 million FDOT project has been reshaping the stretch of North Orange Avenue from Magnolia Avenue to north of Rollins Street for months (but other road work has been happening in the area for the past three years).
The improvements may ultimately benefit the neighborhood, but the prolonged construction has been painful for businesses along the strip. Wain Sharewood, owner of Kut Shave Steam, told News 6 earlier this month that the disruption cost him two barbers as customer traffic dropped. “A new client shows up, and they get disheartened and drive away,” he said. Theoni Tsafonias, owner of The Greek Corner, put it more bluntly: “I tell the people, please open the street because I can’t pay the bills.”
Both owners said they’re holding out hope that business will bounce back once the project wraps. Other businesses, like The Hammered Lamb, couldn’t hold out.
Drivers are advised to use alternate routes where possible and to follow posted signage through the work zone. This leg of work is expected to be completed by the end of the week.
