Pandemic levies latest strike to the Exchange

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This article was published 17/03/2020 (1703 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He laid off 65 of his 68 employees and closed one of his restaurants within the past three days.

Now a well-known business owner is urging the city to offer relief to companies struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and lingering parking woes.

“It’s been a very, very tough week,” said Obby Khan, who owns local Shawarma Khan restaurants and Green Carrot Juice Company stores.

Khan said he was forced to close Shawarma Khan’s Graham Avenue location Tuesday.

He said COVID-19 fears sparked a sharp drop in sales on Friday that hasn’t recovered.

“We’ve had to close the doors and it’s been very, very hard. I physically moved all of the stuff out of one of the stores (Tuesday) and I was in tears doing that because it’s a very sad thing to do,” said Khan.

The business owner and former Winnipeg Blue Bomber said the sudden disruption has been especially painful for already struggling businesses in the Exchange District, who have long lobbied the city to cut parking rates by $1.50 an hour in their area.

Khan challenged executive policy committee members on Wednesday to provide that immediate relief in their 2020 to 2023 budget.

He said Winnipeg’s decision to increase the Exchange District parking rate from $2 per hour to $3.50 per hour in 2018 triggered a lasting decline in sales that’s already forced some stores to close.

“The parking plan is really broken. It’s $3.50 an hour for parking in the Exchange and downtown. (That’s) unprecedented, crazy. Nowhere else in the city are you seeing rates like that,” said Khan.

He also suggested that council impose paid parking in other commercial areas that attract crowds to level the playing field, such as Academy Road, Corydon Avenue and Osborne Street.

Khan said there was a silver lining to the Tuesday closure of his restaurant, as his landlord approached him to return with his rent cheque for the month and waive the following one.

“(He said) you don’t ever have to repay this money. Let’s just get through this together,” said Khan.

He told EPC councillors Winnipeg should echo that support within the community and help struggling businesses.

Mayor Brian Bowman said he believes the city has been quite supportive of the downtown and the Exchange District economy, such as by reducing the business tax.

The mayor said he also believes senior governments will help address the economic impacts of COVID-19.

“We know that there is a significant reduction in economic activity that’s happening. And so the federal and provincial governments have a large role to play in providing the financial assistance to meet the demand,” said Bowman.

The federal government did announce some subsidies for employee wages and deferred tax payments in a major aid package on Wednesday.

Council is slated to have its final budget vote on Friday.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

@joyanne_pursaga