BURLINGTON — The city is moving ahead with a plan to close down five major downtown streets once a week throughout the summer in hopes of helping suffering small businesses.
This new economic initiative will close down portions of College, Bank, Cherry, Center and South Champlain streets once a week, every Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., through August.
The initiative, called “Open Streets,” is part of a larger “Making Space” program the city started in an effort to “allow businesses to comfortably expand into the right-of-way,” to spur economic growth, Mayor Miro Weinberger said at his daily media briefing Friday.
Weinberger said city officials hope “significant numbers of people” participate.
“The idea is that people can really spread out … on those streets and that the tables can be distanced from each other so you’re not in close contact from one household to another sitting at a table,” he said.
Previously, the city expanded its “Street Seats” program, which allows businesses, particularly restaurants and bars, to reserve two parking spaces in front of their business to have permanent outside seating that is off the sidewalk. Additionally, the city has made more sidewalk space available.
The second component, Weinberger said, was the designation of “grab and go” pickup zones for take out from restaurants and orders from stores.
“Open Streets,” the city’s third component, was designed to expand the space where local businesses can generate revenue, said Kara Alnasrawi, executive director of Church Street Marketplace.
“It essentially increases their revenue-producing space,” she said. Restaurants’ indoor capacity is capped — on Friday, the Scott administration separately lifted the restriction from 25% to 50% of approved fire safety capacity. And many restaurants, she noted, don’t have outside space in front of their business.
Alnasrawi said the city has been getting positive feedback for the idea which led the city to decide to keep the project going from June 27 through the end of August.
“Open streets means closing the streets to cars, but opening it to pedestrian traffic and businesses in this sense,” Alnasrawi said. “These restaurants will be reservation only which is how restaurants are working right now. We don’t encourage crowding or anything of that sort, but we will have outdoor cafe space and displays for retailers all throughout the summer on these streets.”
The city will be providing volunteers throughout the open streets during operating hours as well as security to ensure things run smoothly. Overall, it could be the boost small businesses need, Alnasrawi said.
“I’m really excited about it,” she said. “It could possibly be a game-changer for some of our small businesses that are really in dire straits right now.”
The expansion of business onto the street does leave the question of alcohol consumption. According to Vermont law any business that wants to serve wine, beer or spirits and have outside seating must get an “outside consumption permit.”
Alnasrawi said the city is working with the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery to finalize that portion of the plan.
“Everyone who currently has a license to serve, we are asking for a blanket expansion,” she said.
Alnasrawi said she’s been actively communicating with the department and hopes to hear back soon.
Martin Prevost, the director of licensing for the Department of Liquor and Lottery, said he wasn’t specifically familiar with Burlington’s plan, but said due to Gov. Phil Scott’s executive order that expanded alcohol consumption and take-out, the rules are flexible.
“I can tell you under the governor’s executive order we’re allowing outside consumption permits to be out of the norm. Sidewalks, across a pathway, possibly even across a roadway,” Prevost said.
Prevost said this is in an attempt to help businesses recover from Covid-19-related economic impacts. Once the governor’s executive order is nullified or changed, things will go back to normal.
But, he said, as long as the street is fully closed to vehicle traffic, there shouldn’t be a problem.
The project will officially start June 27 and go through August.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with the detail that streets will be closed on Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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