July 23, 2020 — Hendersonville, NC, is reopening and welcoming customers back downtown. Prior to the pandemic, the city was a bustling place with a narrow Main Street, planters blooming with flowers, and strolling pedestrians. But it wasn’t always that way. Back in the 1970s, Hendersonville’s historic Main Street was so empty and so car-friendly…Continue reading
July 9, 2020 — Downtown Walla Walla, WA, has reopened after the coronavirus shutdown, but with a number of new twists. A block near Main Street is closed to traffic and is now a plaza for outdoor dining. Main Street itself will close one night a week. Sidewalk liquor consumption is now allowed, within limits.…Continue reading
June 25, 2020 — Before the coronavirus shutdowns silenced downtown Orlando, FL, city officials say designating locations for drivers to pick up downtown patrons improved traffic flow during the late-night rush hour when bars closed and thousands of people tried to leave a small area at once. The hubs were open from midnight to 3…Continue reading
May 28, 2020 — Before the coronavirus shutdowns, Santa Cruz, CA, was home to a bustling downtown. Some 4,000 workers had jobs in the district, and downtown’s mix of early-morning cafés and late-night bars created what Claire Gollogly, the city’s transportation planner, calls a "23-hour" city. There is a catch, though. Downtown Santa Cruz is…Continue reading
May 14, 2020 — In Kennesaw, GA, a downtown cemetery is no longer just a final resting place. The Kennesaw City Cemetery, an eight-acre space that opened in 1863, is being transformed into a greenspace and recreation area. Under a plan approved unanimously by the city council in 2019, the graveyard will host fun runs,…Continue reading
With their disruptions to traffic flow and parking, construction projects are the bane of downtown leaders. In a rare bright side to the coronavirus pandemic, some downtowns are using the economic pause to accelerate infrastructure improvements. In Pensacola, FL, Gulf Power has accelerated work on an $83 million project to improve the downtown power grid.…Continue reading
As the coronavirus pandemic closed downtowns across North America, downtown Detroit’s biggest landlord tried something different. Bedrock, a major property owner in the struggling city’s commercial core, told tenants it wouldn’t collect their rent. The most generous rent forgiveness terms go to small businesses, while bigger companies can get smaller breaks. "It is going to…Continue reading
April 16, 2020 — While downtown restaurants have been severely impacted by efforts to fight the coronavirus, two cities have gotten creative. In addition to offering take-out and delivery services, special partnerships are helping. In New Orleans, a supermarket chain is stepping up to offer support to struggling downtown restaurants. Rouses Markets is testing a…Continue reading
Downtowns are positioned to rebound strongly from the coronavirus pandemic. When that rebound might occur, however, is uncertain. That’s according to downtown leaders interviewed by Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter as the global pandemic spread. "Will we come back? Absolutely," says Dewitt Peart, president of the Downtown Austin Alliance in Austin, TX. However, Peart and others struggled to…Continue reading
Downtown leaders must find ways to help businesses through these tough times. Local governments and downtown organizations may be facing their own economic pressures, so increasing loan and grant money may not be an option. But reduced business fees, free peer counseling, help with advertising, and keeping business owners informed about funding sources can help.…Continue reading
