HAMILTON, Ohio -- The Main Street Vinyl space has been a lot of things over the years, like a psychic's office, a barbershop and now a record store. The one thing owner Bill Herren is trying to keep it from being is closed.
Herren's business and others in downtown Hamilton have been affected by changes to make the area safer. Crews are replacing nearly-century-old water mains and the overall landscape of Main Street. With construction expected to last well into the fall, business owners are pleading for customers to brave the barriers and come in.
Herren estimated the construction has reduced his business by 35 or 40 percent.
"Business was great before," he said. "Now we're beginning to hurt a little bit on it, along with everybody else."
Down the street at R&D, Dustin Hatcher said they've had similar problems.
"We get no traffic," he said. "Everyone that's coming down this way that you see, they're going the back way."
Hatcher opened the business about a month ago. He said several businesses in the area are just trying to hold on.
"With the one lane, they have limited parking, which they're working on," he said.
Construction is set to wrap up in early November.
