YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – As downtown Youngstown businesses struggle in the wake of last month’s explosion at the Realty Building, owners say they’ve been having a hard time ever since road construction started a couple of years ago.

Mark Canzonetta with Bistro 1907 said he has seen sales drop $15,000 to $20,000 a week. Vern Cesta with V2 was blunt about the losses.

“Almost 60%. I would say 60 to 70%,” Cesta said.

He talked about the ongoing construction, that is now outside his front door, which is making it harder for customers to get there.

“They’re telling me it’s unsafe, so they’re just gonna drive around. They can’t find a parking place after two tries around, they’re going somewhere else,” Cesta said.

Erin Lonsway says the construction forced her to close her Bella Amica Boutique because of all the dust and narrow sidewalks. She says the work is hurting the downtown’s image as a destination.

“We have to make it road-friendly, parking-friendly, people-friendly, and people may not have a second or third chance,” Lonsway said.

While the owners say the construction has been hurting their bottom lines, they also say that they get little information about when it’s all going to be finished.

Officials have told WKBN-27 First News that work on West Federal Street should be finished by mid-July, but owners say no one has told them that.

“We shouldn’t be getting our information from the news. We should be getting it from the people that are in our government,” said Anna Massullo-Sabella with Avalon Pizzeria.

All admit that even when the road re-opens and the explosion’s been cleaned up there needs to be a plan in place to help them and if not, they don’t know how long they’ll last.

“It’s been a family discussion of ours,” Massullo-Sabella said.

“Should we pull out? I’ve been talking to my lawyers, my accountants about it. Should we pull out?” Canzonetta said.

Everyone hopes it doesn’t come to that.