Some streets in Westport will be closed on weekends to make room for street cafes
Westport will add some European flair this summer by adding more sidewalk and street cafes, a moved aimed at facilitating social distancing.
Street cafes will replace traffic in certain areas of Pennsylvania Avenue, Archibald Street and Westport Alley on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday, the Westport Regional Business League announced.
The district will decide which blocks to close on a weekly basis and each business will decide their street cafe operating hours.
The league said the change will provide additional space to serve patrons so they can maintain social distancing while also allowing businesses to increase revenue.
This weekend, two blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue will be closed and street cafes will be established at Kelly’s Westport Inn, Sweet Combforts, Gambals Social Club, Clothz Minded, Fidel’s and Mickey’s Hideaway.
COVID-19 shuttered the entertainment district for several weeks. Businesses remain subject to a 50% occupancy limit, according to the Kansas City Health Department.
The coronavirus has infected 1,680 people in Kansas City and 28 have died, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
On Friday, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, also announced that sidewalk cafes would be allowed. Businesses including bars, restaurants, retail shops and other entities will be able to use the public right-of-way.
“It’s a win-win situation for residents and business owners, and a common sense approach to governing in these unique and unprecedented times,” Mayor David Alvey said in a statement.
This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 2:38 PM.
