GEORGETOWN, Del. - Traffic and parking on part of East Market Street in Georgetown have become challenging since the construction of the new Sussex County family courthouse began in the fall of 2022.
John Akoglu, who has worked at Georgetown Family Restaurant for the past 10 years, says the construction has impacted the business negatively.
"It's a little bit damaged our business," he added, "Especially the weekdays... you know... the courthouse is open, and [customers] can't find easily the parking lot," Akoglu said.
Other business owners on East Market Street share Akoglu's concerns about the construction impact.
"It slowed down [the business] a little bit because, like I said, people don't want to get into town," Manuel Pedraza, owner of Caruso's Pizza & Pasta Italian Eatery, said. "A lot of people only got like 20 minutes, 30 minutes lunch, 45 minutes, and there it's not enough time [for them] to just drive, looking for parking and moving in, moving out."
Despite the current disruptions, Akoglu remains optimistic about the new courthouse's future benefits.
"We want to change our menus. I know we're going to improve our to-go orders or carry out orders when the courthouse building is done," he said.
The construction is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025.