Enterprise business owners express concerns about a proposed redesign of Boll Weevil Circle, similar to what happened to Fazoli's restaurant and other businesses in Dothan, citing potential impact on local businesses.
ENTERPRISE, Ala. - Enterprise business owners are watching a proposed ALDOT redesign of Boll Weevil Circle and asking whether history could repeat itself after Dothan business owners learned a hard lesson when ALDOT redesigned Ross Clark Circle .
When ALDOT redesigned Dothan’s Ross Clark Circle, the construction didn’t just slow down traffic. It slowed down business, and for Fazoli’s restaurant, it ended it.
“We bought what we thought was the best site in Dothan on Restaurant Row,” said Bob Sirkis, owner of Fazoli’s of Dothan. “What was our dream has become our nightmare. ” Fazoli’s closed in September 2024 after four years in business, citing the Ross Clark Circle construction as the reason it could no longer stay open. ALDOT is proposing a similar redesign for U.S. 84 from Rucker Boulevard to Coppinville Road, a corridor lined with some of Enterprise’s busiest businesses.
A public meeting left many business owners concerned, but most say they understand something has to be done.
“So we’re hoping that after listening to us business people and our citizens, that they will take back and fine-tune the current design to be even safer for everyone else,” said Eddie Byrd, director of marketing for Murphy Family Restaurants. Murphy Family Restaurants operates more than 30 McDonald’s locations in the area, including one in the project zone. Byrd said change is coming, and the question is how it’s managed.
“Change is inevitable, change is about safety, change will help us grow in the long run, there may be some hiccups along the way that we may have to adapt to,” Byrd said. Not every business owner along the corridor shares those concerns. Moriso, who owns the Haitian Market in the middle of the project zone, said he’s not worried about losing customers.
ALDOT says no final decisions have been made, and will take the public’s comments into consideration for possible changes to the redesign. Comments on the project can be submitted on the ALDOT website before the May 18 deadline. Download the WTVY News4 app to get alerts and stories the moment they are published. Available for FREE in the“Car battery killer” convicted, faces life behind bars
Enterprise AL Business Owners Road Redesign Boll Weevil Circle Fazoli's Ross Clark Circle Murphy Family Restaurants Haitian Market ALDOT Change Safety Growth
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Alabama Department of Transportation Proposes Redesign of Boll Weevil Circle Corridor, Citing Higher Crash RatesThe Alabama Department of Transportation held a public meeting to present a proposed redesign of the Boll Weevil Circle corridor, citing crash numbers as the reason for the project. The project would stretch along U.S. 84 from Rucker Boulevard to Coppinville Road, passing Walmart, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Sam Boswell Honda.
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