How a major construction project is hurting Marshville businesses

MARSHVILLE, N.C. — Construction is impacting businesses in Marshville right in the middle of the holiday shopping season.

Town leaders told Channel 9 they didn’t even tell businesses the work was about to start.

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The sidewalk in front of Pink Dahlia Boutique in downtown Marshville is currently ripped up.

The store owner said this project is happening at their busiest time of the year, and it’s hurting foot traffic.

The owners of Pink Dahlia like to go big on Christmas.

Riley Pope, one of the owners, said they had a giant gingerbread house display and a Santa’s mailbox.

“It was really sweet, we enjoyed it,” Pope said. “This year’s been a little different for sure.”

The town of Marshville recently broke ground on a street scape project on Main Street, right in front of the boutique.

Renderings show plans for a wider sidewalk, benches, trees and flowers. Pope said they had no idea it was coming.

“We never got a notification,” said Pope. “No paperwork, no verbal communication that the construction is starting.”

He said businesses were notified of the project when it was funded, but that was at least two years ago.

“We didn’t go back and tell them it’s getting ready to start,” said the Town Manager of Marshville Frank Deese. “So that might have been a lack of communication on our part.”

Deese said this is by far the largest project Marshville has seen in years, and when it is complete, he hopes it will revitalize and help businesses like Pope’s get more foot traffic.

“I’m not sure it will bring more people out or not,” said Pope. “I hope it does.”

The town manager did say he ordered some banners to be placed in the area soon, to help notify people of construction. He said they’ll go up as soon as they arrive.

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