To help raise awareness and drive business toward the area, local chambers of commerce Partnership Lake Houston and the Greater East Montgomery County Chamber banded together to launch the “Northpark Needs You” campaign in late July, which local business owners have said is already having a positive impact.
While conceding the roadway improvements and the addition of the overpass are needed, several business owners on Northpark Drive have reported declining revenue in the two years since the project began.
Daron Skero, owner of Skero’s Furniture & Mattress, said construction has made it difficult for customers to access his store.
“When construction started, nobody wanted to get on Northpark [Drive],” Skero said. “It’s gotten better, but it’s still rough.”
Construction on the roughly $149.6 million two-phase project along Northpark Drive began in April 2023 and is expected to be substantially completed in 2030, said Ralph De Leon, Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 10 administrator.
De Leon said the project aims to alleviate congestion, enhance accessibility and increase safety in the Kingwood area. He added that the overpass will provide an additional evacuation route in the case of future flooding.
About the project
Construction on the Northpark Drive overpass project, or Phase 1, began in April 2023 and is expected to wrap up by the fourth quarter of 2026. The project will:
- Construct a new overpass over the Union Pacific Corp. railroad tracks and Loop 494
- Construct west- and eastbound frontage roads beside the overpass
- Widen Northpark Drive between Hwy. 59 and the overpass.
- Widen Northpark Drive from four to six lanes between Woodland Hills Drive and Russell Palmer Road
- Replace both bridges at the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and the crossing at Ben’s Branch
- Install drainage infrastructure along the roadway
Ray Hernandez, Partnership Lake Houston president and CEO, cited traffic delays among the biggest concerns business owners have voiced.
“One of the most significant issues is the disruption of normal traffic flow,” Hernandez said. “The delays and detours are making it difficult for their clients or customers to access their favorite businesses, especially during peak hours.”
While Skero said traffic conditions have improved since construction began in April 2023, the lane closures are still impacting the amount of time his drivers spend transporting products between his store and a nearby distribution center.
“We have a distribution center right by us, [and our drivers used to be able to make the drive] in less than two minutes,” Skero said. “[Now,] it takes my employees 20-25 minutes to get to my other center. We do that somewhere around 30 times a day.”
Skero said the business was required to borrow $750,000 to stay operational after losing more than $1 million in sales since construction began.
Megaton Brewery co-owner Chris Sarvadi said the brewery has seen a roughly 30% drop in business since construction began.
“It’s not really sustainable,” Sarvadi said, noting the brewery is in the process of creating online options for its customers to help offset the decline.
Grayson Gerloff, general manager of Kenneth’s Car Care, said while he believes the road improvements are necessary, the reduction in business has forced the company to reduce its workforce. He noted business has dropped by roughly 30% since construction began resulting in a loss of $700,000.
“We’re seeing a pretty significant drop in business,” Gerloff said.
Still, Gerloff said he believes a lot of the reports of heavy traffic have been overstated.
“There’s traffic, but during the day it’s pretty clear,” Gerloff said.
Skero expressed similar optimism, noting traffic along Northpark Drive has already improved.
“Even from a few months ago, it’s gotten much better,” Skero said.
Get involved
GEMCC President and CEO Mark Linabury said a major focus of the “Northpark Needs You” campaign is to drive in-person traffic back to stores and restaurants that rely on those customers.
“You’re going to see more of your retail type businesses that are affected,” Linabury said.
Linabury said the two chambers created a webpage—www.northpark.biz—containing a directory that allows visitors to view businesses most affected by roadwork.
Additionally, Linabury said officials from each of the chambers will continue to post about affected businesses on their respective social media pages.
Hernandez said the campaign is also aiming to help raise awareness of the broader effect that struggling businesses on Northpark Drive can have outside of the construction area.
"Shoppers may choose to take their dollars to where they [are more easily spent], ... which can create long-term shifts to economic activity,” Hernandez said.
What they're saying
- "Business is starting to pick up a little bit, for sure, and I know the work the chambers are doing is absolutely helping," Skero said.
- "We see exaggerated reports of the disruption of traffic patterns along Northpark [Drive] and some of those comments ... kind of overstate the disruption," Hernandez said.
- "Consumers just change their normal habit patterns, and I don't think they realize the effect that, that would have on the businesses," Linabury said.
Funded by local taxing entity TIRZ 10, De Leon said the final phase of the project is expected to be substantially completed in 2030. He noted several measures are currently being implemented to help ease the strain on area businesses.
De Leon said construction crews have helped businesses by using quick-set concrete, which he said hardens more quickly than regular concrete.
While De Leon noted much of the additional cost associated with quick-set concrete has been offset, he said it was too early to tell whether it will affect the overall cost of the project.
Still, Linabury said he hopes the “Northpark Needs You” campaign extends beyond Kingwood residents.
“I think the message is actually being received by people who might not have been shopping on Northpark,” he said.
