A new proposal from one of Denver's largest business advocacy organizations suggests halting vehicle access to select streets downtown, allowing restaurants and retailers to expand their services outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter sent to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock the week of May 4, Downtown Denver Partnership requested that the city create an accelerated process to allow for business districts, as well as individual property owners and managers, to submit applications to close some streets in "key downtown and neighborhood commercial districts."
DDP says in the letter that the proposal would allow more retailers and restaurants to reopen safely with social distancing measures in place to curb the spread of the disease, acknowledging that not all restaurants and retailers have the existing space to accommodate social distancing restrictions.
Closing certain streets would also allow pedestrians to more safely keep their distance from each other, and enable other programming features such as seating or landscaping, DDP says in the letter.
Tami Door, president and CEO of DDP, pointed out that such closures wouldn't exactly be new for downtown. Denver has seen occasional closures at Larimer Square, 16th Street Mall and Glenarm Place, among others, for festivals or events.
"There's good data and history for why these are valuable," Door told Denver Business Journal.
But the latest proposal, if adopted in some form by the City of Denver, would likely take place over a longer period of time and under far different circumstances. DDP's letter to Mayor Hancock cites dire statistics for the restaurant sector, noting that Denver restaurants reported on average a 76% year-over-year drop in sales in April.
Colorado's current "safer-at-home" order mandates that restaurants and bars continue to offer food and beverages only for off-premise consumption, as they have been doing since March 17, although Gov. Jared Polis said May 11 he hopes to have in-restaurant dining by the end of the month.
Door told DBJ the recent letter was a follow-up to another letter DDP sent to the Mayor's office in mid-April to begin discussions around expanding restaurant service outside.
"Healthy ground-floor businesses create healthy neighborhoods," Door said. "I think that people understood that immediately. They certainly understood why restaurants need to thrive."
"Operating at 25% capacity of our seating is not even a consideration," Gruitch said. "It's not realistic."
"I think that's where the balancing comes into play," Door said. "You don't close every street in the city. You look at where it provides the most value comprehensively."
DDP is recommending a pilot period for the program beginning Memorial Day and lasting through Oct. 31, with allowances for a continuation beyond the pilot period in areas where it's been deemed successful. Door said that timeline is meant to align with Denver's weather, and to allow time for the program to be adjusted.
DDP is also asking the city to require each location to submit an application to establish a managing entity, provide written support from businesses in the area and give details on how the street closure would work.
To read more, go to the Denver Business Journal.
