June 14 has been set as a tentative date to start construction on 50 Avenue for water and sewer upgrades.Construction would affect the avenue from 50 Street to 52 Street. The Uptowne Olds Committee expects work to last at least a month or longer, depending on weather and what repairs are needed.The start date was announced at an Uptowne Olds Committee meeting on April 9.Rubydale Asphalt is the contractor hired to carry out the repairs.Despite the potential disruption from the construction, members of the committee want the public to know the uptowne area will stay open for business.Brochures will be distributed at uptowne businesses and through utility bills and advertisements will run in the newspaper and on radio alerting residents how to visit the area with ease.“So that brochure and the ads will have mapping to show people where the construction is. They'll let people know what's happening and why and they'll also show traffic flow entry points and parking,” said Deb Aitken, the committee's coordinator.Since the area comprises mostly small businesses, owners are hoping construction will not keep visitors away.“We are concerned about having a loss, of course, of business because of this disruption in traffic,” said Cheryl Naglis, the Uptowne Olds marketing chair and owner of The Quilting Bee.“And so what we're hoping is if we can give some education to the public, then that will give them an opportunity to realize we are still open. Even though there's stuff going on, these businesses still really need your business to be able to be effective in the community.”According to Naglis, the brochures will cost from $500 to $1,000 with funds coming from a grant by the Alberta Main Street [email protected]
