In 2020 good news has been a rare commodity.
But Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI) President Zack Matheny provided the City Council with good news about a project that is working much better than anticipated at the City Council work session last week.
The project is “Open Streets” in downtown Greensboro, with the tagline, “We’re Closing It Down To Open It Up.” Open Streets closes down South Elm Street from Market Street to Lewis Street to vehicular traffic from 5 to 11 p.m. When Open Streets was launched in August, it was held on Friday and Saturday nights. It has evolved into a Saturday only event.
With the street closed to vehicular traffic, the restaurants and retailers have been able to expand onto the sidewalks and streets to provide more space for social distancing. Pedestrians still have plenty of room to walk while once again maintaining social distance.
Open Streets started in August, was extended through September, extended again through October and now has been extended through the end of the year.
Matheny said that because of Open Streets, some restaurants are “doing pre-COVID weekend numbers” and that one retailer did better in September 2020 than in September 2019.
Matheny said that DGI was working with the city to replace some of the Jersey walls with something “more esthetically pleasing” and that some restaurants had already invested in outdoor heaters.
Councilmember Justin Outling said, “Open Streets has been pretty remarkable. I’m hoping we could extend that into perpetuity.”
Matheny agreed that extending Open Streets would be beneficial because “these businesses still have to make up a tremendous amount of lost revenue.”
City Manager David Parrish admitted that there was some apprehension on the part of the city staff when the idea was introduced, but agreed that it had really worked out well.
City Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter said, “I’ve been down for Open Streets. I’m hoping that this is one thing we can continue.”
She noted that people really wanted to be able to get out more but still be able to social distance and Open Streets provided that opportunity.
This is lipstick on a pig. Restaurants cannot exist with a one day prepandemic revenue stream. To exist a restaurant or bar will need Tuesdays reciepts as well. Our leaders in Greensboro are complicit in restriction such as curfews and noncovid related onerous restrictions. For example Greensboro has a very restrictive outdoor tent ordinance and inspection process and Emperor Cooper has decreed no sales of alcohol after 11pm which is when actual revenue is generated. Don’t put folks in a cage and tell them they should love how it is gilded.
Also when are payments due on GPAC? How much is DGI and the city hemorrhaging over that boondoggle?
Why would anyone go downtown, unless they have to go to court, buy a license, or see an attorney? I took a tour downtown after the riots; there is no other reason to go to the inner city. The LEFT has destroyed it. There are oodles of good restaurants, shops, etc., all over the city.
Agree
I Agree also.
Look at Johnny’s lil zachy go. Well worth evety dime of tax payer money. Oh, and those Christmas lights are to die for.
” When Open Streets was launched in August, it was held on Friday and Saturday nights. It has evolved into a Saturday only event.”
Saw a TV ad last night that said Friday and Saturday nights.
Which is it?
Some of us gave up believing anything on TV years ago. It’s Saturday.
Right! Nearly every bit of it is propaganda. There is hardly anywhere in any media that gives you the truth, and perhaps enough facts to form an opinion. But how would you confirm it?
For entertainment at home, we watch mostly whodunits produced mainly in Europe. From Norway to Poland, Germany, UK, etc. Australia has some good ones, too. Hardly anything produced recently in the U.S. Not even PBS news.
More than anything else, it is the Press who have let all of us down.
Downtown is the heart of the entertainment district of Greensboro. There is such a variety of entertainment venues, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, shops, services and treats. These are all within walking distance of one another. Cities become destinations for their vibrant downtowns, not for their outlying strip-malls and urban-sprawls. People enjoy strolling a vibrant downtown and patronizing various establishments. Especially during this time, I urge the wonderful people of this city to keep downtown vibrant!
Government has over-reached their mandates and authority by stopping or curtailing business owners to the point of bankruptcy for some and others to the brink of bankruptcy. Enjoying downtown is essential to keep Greensboro vibrant and solvent. Government needs to use logic for their decisions instead of media and political produced fear that is destroying America.
I thought scooters were forbidden on the sidewalks?
Those wannabe Patios are sad. Patios, in general, are designed to attract people. Not to wall them in. Who’s idea was that of the “corridor-walk through” prominade? It is CLAUSTROPHOBIC! Walls, Barricades, Orange Barrels, Fences, Big Holes, Construction… More Walls, more Barricades, Etc., Etc.
BTW… Chistopher’s patio IS THE WORST configuration ever!!! The setup is backwards… And Tyrannical for the pedestrian.