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TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – With a giant crane and construction materials blocking off car traffic and parking spots right in front of their businesses as the holiday season gets under way, some may think the area businesses would be very upset.

But two of the small businesses most directly affected by the construction and road closures on the 700 block of S. Kansas Ave, are actually singing an optimistic tune.

“It really hasn’t affected us much,” said Connie Cook, owner of Marion Lane Candles.

Cook and her business partner Brenda Price, who operates Absolute Design by Brenda out of their 713 S. Kansas Ave. shop, are located right next to the construction site.

The construction project is a six-story building, slated to house condos and a U.S. Bank branch.

Price said they still have a lot of foot traffic despite the absence of storefront parking and drive-by traffic.

Plus she and Cook said people are “coming down to check out the new action.”

Cook said she’s known for almost two years that the hole in the ground next to her would soon be a construction site

"It just was a matter of permits and timing an things like that.”

Just a couple doors down, the Kansan Grill Restaurant is also dealing with its parking spots blocked off, and diverted drive-by traffic.

But the restaurant’s manager Sheila Gutierrez agreed with Cook and Price that the big crane on their block might actually be a good thing.

"When people see the construction, they see the restaurant,” she said.

Both businesses appear willing to deal with the short-term hassles of the construction, for the long-term benefits the project may bring.

"It's also going to bring extra people here with the condos and the U.S. bank on Kansas Avenue and bring additional clientele down here that never would've even heard of us,” Gutierrez said.

"It's progress and I think that this is a great asset to downtown. So regardless of the timing this is really a step in the right direction,” said Cook.