Road closures could be returning to downtown St. Catharines to support local restaurants and businesses, but with some changes.
Last year the closures along St. Paul Street started on Friday afternoons and lasted through the weekend. This year the Downtown Association Board is recommending the closures be in effect from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights after retailers said they didn't get the same benefit restaurants did during the full weekend closures.
"Fridays and Saturday nights were the busy times!" Association Executive Director Tisha Polocko explained. "That's when people were coming out and about to have a bite to eat and stroll around. So we thought, well, that makes the most sense. And that gives the retailers - it doesn't encroach on their busy times during the day."
The closures would be on St. Paul Street from William to Carlisle and from Bond to Court Street.
Last year restaurants used the street closures to spread out some of their patio space and offer more social distancing as pedestrians were able to stroll along the roadway. Polocko is also encouraging retailers consider setting up pop-up patios to entice more customers.
"We're asking for something a little different too along James Street." she adds. "We're going to be pushing out the pedestrian sidewalk space, taking away the little bit of parking that's along that section of James Street from King to St. Paul and beautifying it a little bit, having a bit of barriers, and that way we can have patio space 7 days a week in that area."
Polocko says one thing that was sorely missed last year was live entertainment. Due to pandemic restrictions, live entertainers were difficult to bring in safely. Polocko wants to change that this year if restrictions allow.
"We'll be working with the Niagara Artists' Company, the Performing Arts Centre, Brock University - everybody is looking to get involved and have all kinds of things going on."
City council still has to approve the road closure plan.
Polocko says she'd like to see the closures start for the May long weekend.
Click here to listen to Polocko's full interview with Tom McConnell.