Restaurant owner says city construction is putting his customers in danger

If you’ve driven near the intersection Montana Avenue and Cotton Street you know there’s been some major construction going on.

But about a block away on Eucalyptus Street is the Amigos restaurant and you can see the construction
right at the front door.

“This project was started as noted on my calendar on the 11th of January,” said Hooky Apodaca, Amigos owner.

He told ABC-7 the construction started simple enough.

“They stuck stakes in the ground. They were probably here an hour and a half,” Apodaca said.

Apodaca told ABC-7 the construction crews left and came back a few days later.

“They came back and they stuck a few more stakes in the ground,” Apodaca said.

A few days passed and the crews came back again.

“It just progressed to today. Where on Friday, our busiest day they blocked the main entrance,” Apodaca said.

Apodaca said the construction has affected his business.

“We did take a hit. It showed today,” Apodaca said.

Further than that Apodaca told ABC-7 his customers are now in danger.

“You yourself filmed today that danger. They were forced to go into the street and around the building through the other entrance,” Apodaca said.

ABC-7 captured video of a customer walking onto a busy road to avoid the construction.

The restaurant does have a back entrance and some parking in the back that’s not too visible from the road but he says there’s an issue with that.

“Where is the handicap bathroom? Those are stairs. How do they get here? I would be in violation,” Apodaca said.

Apodaca told ABC-7 he called the police and fire department but no one could answer his questions.

“A fire department would come here and see this and I would get cited because I blocked an entryway,” Apodaca said.

A police officer talked to the workers who said they would be done by Wednesday.

“I wouldn’t bet a dollar on it … no,” Apodaca said.

Apodaca is also upset he was never notified there would be construction.

ABC-7 contacted the city officials to see if that’s something they usually do, ABC-7 also asked how long the project would take and when it would be completed but they were not able to respond in time for this story.