After seven months of construction and business disruption, downtown Duncan’s revamped Craig Street opened with speeches and cake Saturday.

Most folks thought the $1 million taxpayers paid for street- and sub-grade upgrades was money well spent.

“I hope so, the merchants have really suffered over the summer,” Dorothy Whittome said of roadwork that began in spring.

City brass indicated the project was on budget and on time, given Cowichan’s recent flooding crisis.

Now — with a makeover offering wooden benches, antique light fixtures, foliage and 22 parking slots, to storm-drain upgrades and bike racks — Whittome hopes more locals shop in core stores.

So does Steve Frankson, head of the merchant-based Duncan Business Improvement Area Society.

He called the revamp “absolutely gorgeous.”

“We wondered if it would ever end,” he said, happy with work done by Shew Construction, and 1st Team Consultants Ltd.

Councillor Tom Duncan is also satisfied with the look that’s basically an extension of city square that was renovated in recent years.

Duncan said he’s consider street art such as sculpture on Craig “but just the whole scheme down here is natural art.”

He’d also entertain recycling receptacles around Craig to complement the city’s black-iron trashcans.

“I don’t see why not.”

Visitor Frida Ell was impressed with Craig’s new look.

“I love beauty. We’re the same as everyone else on the island now,” she said of street makeovers elsewhere.

Ladysmith Mayor Rob Hutchins said renos in his town’s core were ultimately worth it while local Doug Dare thought Craig’s new angle parking, amid landscaped bump-outs, is restrictive.

Designers, he explained, should have eliminated Craig parking altogether or created more car stalls.

“It’s really about business.”

Right, said Lance Steward, co-owner of the Craig Street Brew Pub, who lost some business during street work.

“It was an acceptable loss, I guess.

“Business was down but it’s down everywhere.

“These things have to happen sometime.”

Craig’s new layout allows more space for street events fronting his pub and Steward’s Just Jake’s bistro.

“Beautification and loading zones don’t go together, so you have to make some compromises,” the DBIA’s past president said.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have any big complaints.”

Now that city hall has improved its quaint little downtown, Steward’s looking for the DBIA and council to market downtown better, particularly using council’s promised gateways from the busy Island Highway.

“The highway is the trick now.”

Councillor Duncan agreed.

He noted a northern gateway is possible from the new Vancouver Island University campus.