BENDIGO shop owners located in the key impact zones of the redevelopment in Mitchell and Hargreaves streets are looking forward to when it's over.
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The owner of Gold Rush Jewellers in Hargreaves Street said she was grateful to loyal customers for visiting during the construction period.
Judy Baker said the past five weeks had been a challenge while the footpath outside her shop was dug up.
Ms Baker said despite having to step over mounds of dirt, customers were still visiting her shop.
"So many of our customers realise how important it is to have small business in Bendigo," she said.
She said her team had been working hard to keep jewellery dust-free, with one employee joking she had built-up better arm muscles in the past five weeks from the extra cleaning.
Hargreaves Street florist owner Frankie Opie put a message on her Facebook page thanking her customers for their support during the construction.
"Thank you for just being the best customers any business could have, because without your support, we couldn't have got through these times," she wrote.
Owner of Favourite Flavours on Mitchell Street Steve Virtue said the construction was all about short-term pain for long-term gain.
"It's affected business but the bottom line is, for the street to be redeveloped and for Bendigo to grow there's got to be a little bit of pain," he said.
He said compensation from the City of Greater Bendigo for lost business would be "nice" but was unrealistic.
Mr Virtue said he thought landlords and property managers could do a bit more to ease the burden on shop owners.
"Council work very hard to build Bendigo, it'd be nice if landlords and real estate people actually got behind them and started to put something back instead of taking it out all the time."