A construction worker from the QFC/Ballard on the Park site on 24th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 58th Street pops into Scooter's Burgers across the street from the development.

"Long time, no see," he jokes as he orders a couple drinks.

It's the same at Java Bean and Aster Coffee Lounge on the other side of 24th Avenue, where construction workers from the QFC/Ballard on the Park site and the Danielle Condos site across from it stop by during breaks.

But, despite the patronage of the workers, businesses near the two sites are excited to see the years-long construction projects come to an end, bringing normalcy to traffic flow and drawing people to the new QFC and the 299 total units contained in the Ballard on the Park Apartments and Danielle Condos.

"It will be nice to have a few fresh faces," said Karen Gray, operations manager at Java Bean. "From a business standpoint, it's always nice to have more people."

Beth Scribner, owner of Aster, said the construction has driven people out of the area for the last two years. She said people will drive six blocks out of their way just to avoid the construction on 24th Avenue.

Gray said construction has caused backups on 24th Avenue during rush hour when there did not used to be any.

"It's like, 'What's going on here? I don't live on a freeway,'" she said.

Gray and Scribner said they look forward to having construction vehicles off of 24th Avenue. It's hard for businesses to have trucks parked along the street all day, Gray said.

Scribner said she counted people walking on 24th Avenue before purchasing the Aster space and has seen a huge drop in that number since the Ballard QFC closed in December 2007.

But when the new QFC opens, most likely on Jan. 13, it will be a people magnet for the neighborhood, Scribner said.

"I think it's going to be good for businesses around here," said Debbie Johnson, an employee at Wingmasters Sports Bar. "It's going to keep people more local."

Scribner and Gray said they are not worried about the Starbucks in the soon-to-open QFC poaching any of their business.

Gray said she plans on benefitting from increased bus and foot traffic to and from the QFC, and Scribner cited studies that show a Starbucks across from an independent coffee shop increases business for everybody.

Scott Smith, vice president at the Ballard Viking Bank branch across Northwest 57th Street from the QFC/Ballard on the Park development, said the completion of the project presents a great opportunity for Viking Bank to reach out to employees at the new store and the residents living above it.

"Everybody who is not a grocery store is probably looking forward to it," Smith said.

Tempering the excitement is the worry expressed by Gray and Johnson that the city may install parking meters along 24th Avenue Northwest in front of the new developments and their businesses.

Gray said people pull up to the Java Bean for a few seconds in the morning to grab a coffee, and parking meters would put a stop to that.

"It's going to be a total bummer," Johnson said. "It just complicates things."

Gray said she hopes the city does not install pay parking because the Danielle Condos and Ballard on the Park Apartments already have their own parking lots, and local businesses depend on the free parking.

Marybeth Turner, spokesperson for the Seattle Department of Transportation, said the department has no plans to install parking pay stations on 24th Avenue at this time.

The 31-unit Danielle Condos are scheduled to open sometime in March. The 268-unit Ballard on the Park Apartments are running behind schedule but should open sometime in the coming months.

The new Ballard QFC is scheduled to open Jan. 13.

Check back at www.ballardnewstribune.com Jan. 11 for a sneak peek at the new store.