NORTHVILLE, Mich. (WXYZ) — For a Tuesday afternoon in May, downtown Northville has a bit more foot traffic than it used to have, especially since it's the only traffic that's allowed.
“This is fun," Northville resident Felix Ciccarelli said about the pedestrian-filled Main Street. "It’s great for families, the kids come out.”
Small sections of both Main Street and Center Street have been closed to cars since the summer of 2020, giving restaurants and shops more outdoor space when indoor dining was shut down.
“The streets being closed have been tremendous," said Greg Richards, director of operations for Browndog Barlor. "I would venture to say that’s what saved a lot of the businesses in downtown Northville.”
Browndog Barlor, which also has a location in Farmington, is a bar and ice cream parlor on Main Street. So far, they've benefited from the added seating. But now two years later, the city has to decide whether this temporary pandemic plan becomes permanent. Currently, they are set to remain closed until November 2022.
"We absolutely love the streets being closed and are completely in favor of them staying that way,” Richards said. “Most everybody I've talked to is in favor of them."
More than 4,000 people responded to a recent online survey from the Downtown Development Authority in which 80% of people wanted the social district called "The Twist" to remain in place, with 53% voting to expand it. The social district allows adults to carry alcoholic beverages between participating businesses.
As for streets staying closed, 74% want street closures in some form. Fixity-six percent want both streets to stay closed, and 17% say only Main Street should remain closed.
“We're looking to open this street up, this is Center Street, this is a main thorough-way in the whole area," Northville Mayor Brian Turnbull said as he stood at the corner of Main and Center. "We have to do that sometime. We have development and other things going on.”
Turnbull says in a close 5-4 vote Tuesday morning, the DDA voted to recommend opening Center Street back up while keeping Main Street closed likely on a seasonal basis, something some residents say is the right call.
“I love Main Street being closed, but Center Street is really a problem only because it disrupts traffic on Sheldon Road,” Ciccarelli said.
While debate continues, restaurants continue taking full advantage, hoping a final answer is coming soon.
“It's a Tuesday night right now and we’re hopping. That was not a pre-pandemic thing at all,” Richards said. “There’s a lot of activity now that wouldn’t be there if the streets weren’t closed.”
The city council will be taking up this issue in June.
