Shopping should be a happy occasion, which is why we’ve never reported anything but happy, happy, happy in this section. However, an issue that has long been brewing with our friends at Seven New York has taken a turn for the worse, so much so that it’s gotten well-placed attention in the New York Times. In the Fashion & Style section, Eric Wilson details the years of construction work and scaffolding plunked right in front of the store’s Soho location (110 Mercer Street), slowly destroying everyone’s favorite underground boutique. Literally, underground, which was never going to bring in hordes of foot traffic, but the endless, impenetrable obstructions are doing it in altogether.

What are all the endless obstructions? To begin with, a layer of mystery scaffolding has always surrounded the building, but now there’s a three-year renovation of the building next door, a $30-million project to restore the former home and studio of artist Donald Judd. According to the Times: “On Saturday, signs went up saying that the street was closed. A crane was parked on a flatbed truck in front of the shop, and workers waved pedestrians to the other side of the street for all but one hour that Seven was open.” It’s pretty shocking stuff. Just look at this picture. Can you spot Seven behind the giant yellow truck, under the green scaffolding, next to the white tarps?

It doesn’t seem as if anything can be be done to stop construction, or to reason with anyone. Which means, if you’re a fan of cutting-edge fashion and want to support small, devoted retailers, you’ll need to heavily patronize Seven, both in-store and online. Shop, shop, shop! Happy, happy, happy!