Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City will be closing a block of downtown Main Street to vehicle traffic beginning Thursday night as part of a new program designed to help businesses and to draw Utahns back to the heart of the capital city.
"Open Streets SLC" will see Main Street closed to cars between 300 and 400 South every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from 6 to 10 p.m. until Oct. 10.
The block is home to a dense selection of bars and restaurants, and the new program will allow them to expand their outdoor dining options in the cooler weather of early fall. Salt Lake City and the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control both changed or relaxed outdoor seating rules this summer to help restaurants protect diners and encourage business.
In addition to the dining, Open Streets will feature performances and art activations to help visitors "enjoy the energy of downtown," according to a city news release.
Peter Makowski, the acting business development director for Salt Lake City's Department of Economic Development, said in the release there is a need to "reimagine public space and create socially distanced ways to navigate Salt Lake City over a longer term.
"Projects like these are a great way to start talking about who the streets are for, and why," he said.
Downtown Alliance executive director Dee Brewer told KSL.com the idea to make Main Street more pedestrian-friendly is much older than the pandemic.
"This is an idea we have been talking about with (Salt Lake City) Mayor (Erin) Mendenhall since last February," Brewer said. "The idea of making grander use of Main Street, which is a wonderful pedestrian promenade that, frankly, is underused."
Brewer said the city will study the project closely as it plans the transportation future of the area, but he anticipates the program will definitely return with the mild weather next spring. He said the city's transition to the yellow COVID-19 threat level made Open Streets possible.
According to the city release, officials were partially inspired by a Baltimore plan, as reported on by Bloomberg, that discussed how to activate public spaces in the era of COVID-19. Many of its ideas involved more car-free streets.
133 restaurants and bars and over 100 local and downtown-only retailers are open downtown and it is time to get out and...
Posted by SLC Economic Development on Tuesday, September 15, 2020
"Downtown Salt Lake City is the heart and soul of Utah and has been dealt tremendous challenges this year through the pandemic, the earthquake, a windstorm and more," Mendenhall said in the release. "I’m excited to have 'Open Streets' coming to Main Street and I hope residents from around the state will join us downtown as we safely begin to reactivate our vibrant and culturally diverse downtown core."
"This is really an invitation to come downtown not just to Main Street," Brewer said. "If you have a favorite restaurant, come down and enjoy that and (then) walk over to Main Street. There are 133 restaurants open downtown right now."
The release cautions Utahns that Open Streets is not a "street festival or a block party," and requests attendees wear face coverings and maintain physical distancing. Bars, restaurants and shops on the block will require face coverings upon entry. Open Streets is a collaboration between Salt Lake City, the Downtown Alliance and The Blocks SLC.
