They have started a petition asking the city for an economic recovery fund of at least $8 million and transparency on the project.
Trinket Lewis, owner of MoreLyfe Juice Co., speaks during a community meeting to present an economic recovery plan and to address damage from prolonged construction in the corridor on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
When Trinket Lewis opened the yellow and green storefront of MoreLyfe Juice Co. on a once-busy stretch of Cascade Road in June 2022, the community was excited. In 2023, she averaged more than 950 customers a month coming to her shop.
But just three years later, she said that number has fallen by more than half, to about 380 customers a month. Lewis said the decline is because of construction and project delays that have closed parts of a two-mile stretch of Cascade for more than two years and choked off vital traffic that would bring customers to businesses like hers. Now, she’s fighting to stay open.
eW“ tuB“ ”.su ”,pu pu ot ot yeht eht eht wohs wohs .dias deen fi teg ytinummoc ytinummoc t’nac t’nac siweL
Views of Nourish + Bloom and MoreLyfe Juice Co., small businesses located within the Cascade Heights Business District in Atlanta shown on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. Many business owners in the area say years of construction along Cascade Road and delays have had a negative impact on sales. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
rehtaew retaw ycnerapsnart ot ot ot meht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht s’remmus detrats s’ehs gnihcrocs yrevocer .tcejorp .tcejorp detniop noititep ,srenwo no fo ton noillim noillim srebmem niam tsael tsal seussi erutcurtsarfni erolpmi woh pleh taeh evah dnuf rof rof cimonoce ytinummoc s’ytic ytic ytic ytic desuac yb yb sessenisub ssenisub .skaerb devarb ta gniksa dna dna na .enola detacolla ,noonretfa detceffa a a gnuoY yadseuT yehT yehT nO werdnA dnA rodassabmA 8$ 5.7$
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tsevnI“ nettirw htiw lliw tahw ot ot ot ot tuohguorht esoht eht eht eht eht gnitroppus ”.troppus :tnemetats llams dias esnopser sniamer snoitseuq tnediserp syawhtap ,srenwo srenwo dereffo fo fo fo fo lacol tsil sredael gnidulcni ni sah erolpxe egagne eunitnoc dettimmoc sessenisub ssenisub ssenisub gniksa dna dna gnola ,ycnega lanoitidda a a eW .daoR ,hcitnemelK tsevnI nI asiolE ytiC edacsaC OEC ,atnaltA atnaltA atnaltA
ediw erew gnitiaw oot oot ot ot yeht eht eht eht llits sklawedis dias daor ,enoder gnignolorp tcejorp ,smelborp won ,worran .erom srebmem edam evah rof neve .dne noitcurtsnoc gnisuac sessenisub eb era dna dna ytinummoC tuB
eW“ dluow yhw ohw ,nehw yaw saw koot oot ot ot meht eht eht eht klat teerts os was dias dias ”,thgir worran gnol sevil wonk ti ti .seussi ni eh teg t’nod kcab ,aera dna osla tuoba ,gnuoY .yadseuT I eH snekciD rodassabmA
Ambassador Andrew Young speaks to Cascade business owners and residents during a community meeting addressing damage from prolonged construction in the corridor on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
ot meht eht eht stroppus ehs dias gniviecer fo rebmem snaol daetsni sah stnarg gnirehtag rof .ytic sessenisub neeb ta dna gnitacovda s’yadseuT teertsrevO icraM licnuoC reilloC
gnikrow yeht eht dias no slaiciffo .seussi era ytiC
sah“ nettirw htiw ot ot ot ot enilemit eht eht eht eht deksat troppus .tnemetats ,yraterces dias daor weiver edivorp esoporp sserp nalp ezinagro srebmem gniteem s’royam ni pleh rof ,stnemtraped licnuoc erusolc ytic ”,sessenisub ,sessenisub rehtona dna dna dna dna detceffa a a ,htimS teertsrevO gnitarepO )reciffO leahciM ardnahCaL hcitnemelK asiolE .rD snekciD skruB-reltuB ,enooB feihC( )aerdnA(
Mirtha Donastorg is a reporter on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s business team focusing on Black wealth, entrepreneurship, and minority-owned businesses as well as innovation at Atlanta’s HBCUs.
