Jeweller Brent Weatherall, who is running for the Dunedin City Council in this year’s local body elections, said he was closing his shop from July 11 to 18.
He was "taking a leaf out of the council’s book" after the council offered staff an extra day off for wellness last month.
Mr Weatherall said the noise and dust from the work in George St had affected his staff and customers.
The Team Dunedin candidate said the decision to close his store was not a political stunt.
"I totally understand the phrase ‘no pain no gain’ but I feel like we’re going through a lot of pain and the finished project won’t be a lot of gain," he said.
Mr Weatherall previously made headlines for "banning" Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins from his shop over his concerns about the George St project.
A council spokesman said it was monitoring noise and vibration in the area so work did not exceed acceptable levels. There was a scrim in place to control dust and contractors regularly swept and hosed down areas.
Contractors could not always work during the night as it could disrupt residents and extend the time and costs involved in the project.
There would be free workshops and business mentoring to support businesses in the area, he said.
By Cas Saunders
