UPTOWN — As construction continues to hinder businesses along Broadway, Uptown Bikes is opening a pop-up shop on Argyle Street with the hope it will be "a convenient alternative" for customers.
"We're trying to stay a step ahead of the CTA Red Line construction," said Maria Barnes, owner of the bike shop at 4653 N. Broadway.
In March, Stage 2 of construction, which involves rebuilding the station along with 2,200 feet of elevated structure and tracks. The stage is estimated to last seven months. The final three stages will take an estimated 14 months, according to the CTA website.
The ongoing construction, which is expected to continue through 2017, has put the business in the middle of a "heavy construction zone," where drills, construction vehicles and fencing often rest just outside the entrance of the shop, she said.
"Our customers are very loyal people, [but] I think it is somewhat of a deterrent. People don't want to walk along a dusty street," Barnes said.
Despite the construction on the Argyle Streetscape, the area is still "a gem" where Ald. Harry Osterman (48th) has been focusing on scheduling events such as the Argyle Night Market, positive loitering and First Fridays on Argyle aimed at bringing foot traffic to the area. The pop-up shop is scheduled to open just in time to take advantage of some of the events, Barnes said.
"It's still a very active street even though the construction is happening," she said.
On May 19, the pop-up shop will open in a vacant CTA concession stand at 1124 W. Argyle St. The shop will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Barnes said.
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