Like other local Main Streets, West Chester's Main Street will soon close to vehicles and become a temporary open-air marketplace.
Why are we creating an open-air marketplace?
The pandemic is not over, and it is resurging in hot spots across the country. We must allow more space for people to distance as they come into town to shop, dine, visit professional/service businesses, and work. Additionally, being outdoors greatly decreases the risk of viral transmission. We need to protect everyone, and we need all visitors to feel comfortable and safe so they will come back to town to support our businesses!
How else will we ensure safety?
We will be installing gel-based hand sanitizing stations, selling masks, and including signage to communicate the safety measures we must all take. We are also sharing Health Department guidance with all business owners to be sure our expectations are clear, and our Police Department will be monitoring the Central Business District.
When will this happen?
The Borough is working with PennDOT to get approval of the plan. As soon as we do, the street will close. PennDOT is being very responsive and we hope this will be very soon! When we open the Marketplace, we will begin with a 'soft opening' and follow up with a 'grand opening' once everything is in place. By 'everything', we mean all safety measures as well as some cool new public art, thanks to the Borough's Public Arts Commission.
Is this a temporary or permanent closure?
The open-air marketplace is not permanent. If all goes well, the marketplace will likely remain in effect through the fall, until the weather turns cold. If concerns arise, we will refine and readjust. For example, we can change the marketplace hours, or we can reopen Gay Street altogether. We will monitor this closely, and we want your feedback!
How will we measure success?
We will be communicating with businesses to see how they are doing. It is difficult to put metrics into place, because we have no way of knowing how the businesses would perform if we didn't close Gay Street. We cannot compare business revenue to the same time last year, for example, because the pandemic has upended all normalcy. We are doing this so visitors can protect themselves and come back to our great town. We are in this together.
What exactly is the plan?
The plan is to temporarily close Gay Street, 24/7, from Matlack to Darlington Streets (4 blocks), per the map below, and create an open-air marketplace. All cross streets will remain open.