Street Closings Impact Downtown Muskogee Businesses

When fire gutted the Severs Block building in Muskogee two weeks ago, the physical damage was contained, but the economic damage is spreading far beyond. <br/><br/>Streets are barricaded and detoured

Wednesday, December 27th 2006, 10:24 am

By: News On 6

When fire gutted the Severs Block building in Muskogee two weeks ago, the physical damage was contained, but the economic damage is spreading far beyond.

Streets are barricaded and detoured for blocks around. News on 6 business reporter Steve Berg says several nearby businesses are suffering.

Max's Garage has been a popular Muskogee nightspot. But on the Thursday after the fire, manager James Meek says they did $8 in business, for the whole day. "$8 from 11 AM to 2 AM, so this street's been a ghost town and it's kind of affecting, we've got 30 people here that's affecting our livelihood as we speak."

Max's is right across the street from the Severs Block building. But they're feeling the effect far down the road.

â€œYeah, 3 or 4 blocks at least. It's a pretty good ways." Keith Baughman opened a Quizno's store earlier this year. Before the fire, they were always ranked in the top 5 stores in the state in sales. Since the fire, he says they've dropped as far as number 17. "Our business has been dead, but every business in this strip mall has been very slow. Everybody has taken a big step back ever since the fire happened."

What businesses in an area farther away from the fire don't understand is why the detour on Martin Luther King Street when the fire is several blocks to the south, almost half a mile on Okmulgee Street.

"It was 3 blocks away, and they're blocking the street right over here and for what reason." The Oklahoma Department of Transportation says it's because MLK is straighter and sturdier, better for trucks and traffic flow, but not necessarily for these businesses.

Now they want to know when something will be decided about their historic headache. "I would like to see it preserved too, but are we willing to lose all these businesses here just to see it restored?"

Muskogee's public works director told the local newspaper in Muskogee it could take 2 to 4 weeks to secure the building and get the streets reopened. The businesses hope they can hold on that long.