The City of Northville and members of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) are requesting public opinion on whether to reopen two downtown streets - block-long sections of Main and North Center - to vehicular traffic. The two streets have been closed from North Center to Hutton and from Main to Dunlap, respectively, since June 2020.
Initially, the streets were closed due to on-and-off pandemic restrictions that limited the number of people allowed inside businesses - both retailers and restaurants. The closed streets resulted in a greater surface area for social distancing and downtown restaurants and retailers were permitted to expand their outdoor dining and retail presence to help maintain sales during a difficult time. The street closures were well received by most business owners, customers and residents, DDA officials said.
Northville was one of the first cities in the state to close streets to traffic due to COVID-19 and also was one of the first to establish a social district. The social district will continue regardless of whether the streets remain closed or reopen, they added.
The street closures were extended in September 2020 until March of 2021. Outdoor structures and heaters were added to provide warmth when the Department of Health and Human Services closed indoor dining in December 2020 due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.
In March 2021, the road closures were extended until November 2022 to evaluate how well the outdoor dining and retail structures drew customers throughout the year, especially during the cold months when indoor dining returned to full capacity. The structures and outdoor seating areas weren't as widely used this past winter as they were in winter 2020 since indoor dining had reopened, officials explained.
The current street closures are scheduled to end Nov. 1. After nearly two years of experience with the street closures, city and DDA officials are reaching out to the downtown community and all city residents for input on how these downtown streets should function in the future.
To share ideas or opinions about the street closures, visit the Northville city website to complete the survey. For more information, questions or comments, contact Lori Ward at lward@ci.northville.mi.us or (248) 349-0345.
