That massive construction nightmare at Emory Village is almost complete.
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DECATUR, Ga. -- That massive construction nightmare at Emory Village is almost complete. Local businesses are trying to stay open until that day arrives.
At Saba Restaurant in Emory Village, business is better Thursday than it was Wednesday, when owner Shane Mixon wrote a message on Facebook pleading for folks to come help them "survive this nightmare".
"It could mean the end of us," Mixon told 11Alive's Matt Pearl on Thursday.
The nightmare is the nearly ten months of construction at the busiest intersection in Emory Village.
Said Andy Kurlansky, owner of nearby Everybody's Pizza, "It's been worse than we even expected - in our worst nightmares!"
"From January 1st to May 31st," says Mixon, "we have lost about $100,000 in revenue, which is huge for a restaurant our size."
Eventually, of course, the construction-laden intersection will be a roundabout, which, both business owners say, will be better than the traffic mess that was there before. It's just a matter of getting to that end point.
"We've known this was coming for a long time," Kurlansky said, "and this is gonna be great. It's gonna really help the village."
The project has passed its June 10th deadline, but a county spokesperson says they expect it done by next week. Village officials are cheering the difference it is already making, even with the current "BUMP" signs and unpaved roads still in place
The businesses that make the village unique simply can't wait for the roundabout project to turn its final corner.
"I think it's gonna be amazing," Mixon says. "I hope we're here to see all the benefits that it brings."