{"id":252270,"date":"2025-09-24T23:54:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T23:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/252270\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T23:54:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T23:54:09","slug":"main-street-bar-says-houston-construction-is-driving-customers-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/252270\/","title":{"rendered":"Main Street bar says Houston construction is driving customers away"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2013 Casa Blanca Lounge has been a staple of downtown nightlife since 2017, but the general manager says ongoing construction on Main Street has put the business in crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike a big house party\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

General Manager Joshua Silva helped open Casa Blanca nearly a decade ago. He describes the space as a community hub where Houstonians came to dance, celebrate, and even meet their partners.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to tell people it\u2019s just a big house party. I\u2019ve known so many people who have met their significant other here in the past and now have families and kids running around,\u201d Silva said.<\/p>\n

The lounge, one of the first on Main Street to showcase reggaet\u00f3n and cumbia, built its reputation on music and energy. Silva says it even carried him through difficult moments in his own life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf cancer didn\u2019t take me out, this construction is not going to take us out. We\u2019re still out here rocking and rolling. Don\u2019t forget about us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Decline in sales and staff hours<\/b><\/p>\n

Silva says the construction fencing outside Casa Blanca has already cost him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreviously, we would have a line down the block, a line of 20, 30 people. Now, no line. Instead of not being able to move, you\u2019re able to run some laps in here if you wanted to,\u201d Silva said.<\/p>\n

He estimates revenue has dropped about 25 percent on weekends. The slowdown has forced him to cut shifts for his employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used to run four on Saturdays. Now we\u2019re running two. That hurts them as much as it hurts me,\u201d Silva said.<\/p>\n

He says business owners were told the work would take six to eight weeks. Months later, the fences remain.<\/p>\n

\u201cSix to eight weeks passed by and that fence was still up. Every time we emailed, they\u2019d give us a different end date,\u201d Silva said.<\/p>\n

Downtown Houston+ response<\/b><\/p>\n

Downtown Houston+, which oversees the Main Street Promenade project, said in a statement that the work is part of a long-planned effort to transform the corridor into a pedestrian-friendly destination.<\/p>\n

\u201cConstruction can be frustrating \u2014 but it is essential for creating the dynamic Promenade destination envisioned by the community. Our businesses are important to us, which is why Downtown Houston+ is leveraging substantial marketing investments to support and work with Main Street businesses in a variety of ways to overcome construction challenges,\u201d the group said.<\/p>\n

The organization says it has already approved 13 grants totaling more than $300,000 for permanent storefront improvements, fa\u00e7ade upgrades, and patio furniture. Renderings provided by Downtown Houston+ show wider sidewalks, outdoor seating, and gathering spaces.<\/p>\n

Rendering Courtesy Downtown Houston+<\/b><\/p>\n

They also highlighted marketing efforts, including podcast ads, influencer campaigns, social media spotlights, and downtown events that feature Main Street businesses. In addition, the group says it has responded to property owners by upgrading utilities and infrastructure while the street is being rebuilt.<\/p>\n

To keep business owners informed, Downtown Houston+ says it has gone door-to-door, held one-on-one meetings, hosted office hours, and provided email updates. They say challenges such as weather, supply chain delays, and even political demonstrations have required flexibility.<\/p>\n

The group points to federal requirements that materials be made in America as another cause of delays, including a backorder on the signature blue tile that will spell out \u201cMain Street.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Main Street Promenade will change the heart of our Downtown for decades to come. As stated, when approved by the City Council, our goal for its completion date is June 2026, in time for the 2026 FIFA Men\u2019s World Cup,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

Business owners push back<\/b><\/p>\n

Silva says that while he appreciates the long-term vision, the support doesn\u2019t address the immediate financial strain on his staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, they\u2019ve offered grants, but those don\u2019t help us financially in terms of me and my staff. It\u2019s more for the storefront,\u201d Silva said.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s calling for short-term fixes to help businesses survive until the project is complete.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we should take that fence down and drop it down to at least waist level. Let people see the storefronts when they\u2019re driving by\u2026 we don\u2019t want to give the impression that we are closed out here,\u201d Silva said.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead<\/b><\/p>\n

Silva says he is not against the project. He believes the Promenade will benefit downtown long-term \u2014 but only if businesses can hold on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe shut down these doors\u2026 I just want to be here to see it,\u201d Silva said.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 Casa Blanca Lounge has been a staple of downtown nightlife since 2017, but the general manager…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":252271,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5130],"tags":[4345,425,104373,50,358,3187],"class_list":{"0":"post-252270","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-houston","9":"tag-local","10":"tag-main-street","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-texas","13":"tag-tx"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115261975132880320","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=252270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252270\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=252270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=252270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=252270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}