Will bypass hurt downtown Ottawa?

Penny Hogelin wonders how the new U.S. 59 will affect her store.

Country Living, 123 S. Main St., has been on Ottawa’s Main Street since 1984.

Hogelin said a considerable number of out-of-town shoppers walk through her doors.

“We get a lot of people traveling through,” she said. “I’m afraid they won’t pull off the [new] highway.”

Hogelin isn’t alone.

Tom Weigand, president of the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce, said business owners he’s talked to say they’re concerned about the potential negative effects of the new highway, but they’re also taking a wait-and-see approach.

“They know they’ll be impacted somehow,” he said.

Weigand said it’s difficult to predict what will happen when truck traffic and “accidental tourists” leave the “old” U.S. 59 and take the new highway on a route that doesn’t pass right through the city.

Wynndee Lee, director of planning and codes for the city, said no one knows exactly how much traffic on U.S. 59 is strictly through-traffic, but getting some of that traffic off of Main Street could be an advantage for the city.

She said less truck traffic would lower the noise level, and it could facilitate a more pedestrian-friendly downtown.

Weigand said Main Street will have to become more of a destination downtown, with plenty of unique shopping opportunities that will attract local and out-of-town shoppers.

“This will continue to be a challenge,” he said, adding that community officials will have to work to market Ottawa and the downtown to ensure its continued success.

He said another possible outcome for downtown is that it will become more service-oriented, with more businesses like attorney offices and accountants than retail stores.

Weigand said ultimately the new U.S. 59 will be very positive for Ottawa.

“We just have to commit to aiding present merchants any way we can and then attract businesses for vacancies and shoppers to arrive at a full-service downtown,” he said.

Hogelin said she thinks it’ll take more signs along highways and more advertising in different places for downtown business owners to continue to be successful.

But even then, she wonders how much those measures will help.

“I’m interested to see how it all turns out,” she said.