ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Construction on Genesee Street is causing closures and hurting small businesses, with one owner saying she’s reaching the end.

D&L Groceries, a mom-and-pop grocery store on Genesee Street for nearly four decades, has survived the pandemic, employee embezzlement, and even the death of one of the owners. But construction right outside the front door may cause Deloris Hamilton to close the doors for good.

From Brooks Avenue to Scottsville Road, Genesee Street is undergoing major reconstruction. From pipes below ground to trees up top, it’s getting renovated and beautified. But it’s not very pretty now.

Two months ago when this started, businesses told News10NBC their revenue had been cut in half. Now, Deloris Hamilton says she’s not sure how much longer she can hang on.

“Very very bad, bring my blood pressure is up, because I can’t pay my bills, I can’t pay my employees, it’s very very hard,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton says before construction, she would easily do more than $1,000 a day in sales. But now, “I haven’t seen the bank for days they know me there very well what happened? I said they’re working on Genesee Street and I just don’t have no money to come here.”

This was the store in the middle of the day last week — a hole separating customers from their groceries.

“I know they have to do their work – but while the grass is growing, the horse is starving. And I’m the horse,” Hamilton said.

Rose Bonnick, the county legislator for the 19th Ward and parts of Gates, is also a longtime shopper at D&L, which she says carries specialty Caribbean items, along with fresh produce and hot meals.

“We are in dire need of that because this is a food desert. Access to food in this part of the community it’s very challenging, and to have D&L here that provides that for the community it’s a welcome business,” Bonnick said.

Hamilton came to Bonnick when construction started. Two months in, Hamilton says she temporarily closed once because she had nothing on the shelves. At 82 years old, she says she wants to keep the doors open as long as she can.

“I don’t want to close I want to keep going, I’ve been here I have nothing else to do but this,” Hamilton said.

“Absolutely in order for quality of life to happen change needs to happen. And part of the change means infrastructure work needs to be done. That being said, when that is happening, we have to make certain that those impacted the most impacted feel – get some attention, get some love,” Bonnick said.

Bonnick says she’s looking at both the county and state level to see if there are any grants for D&L.

News10NBC also reached out to the city, as the construction is in their jurisdiction. A rep said the city’s Business Development Division came down a few weeks ago to walk the streets and put up signs. They also said D&L was eligible for a small business grant to use for advertising, but they hadn’t heard back yet from D&L.

The other businesses News10NBC talked to said there was an immediate drop-off when construction started, and things are still the same now. The co-owner of the barbershop next door, T&Dave’s, says they’re being forced to move locations, at least temporarily, as this all continues.

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