3rd year of pedestrian mall brings changes for St. John's businesses
Mall brings unparalleled energy to downtown, says business owner
Plans for the third iteration of the downtown St. John's pedestrian mall look a little different from last year, with a mixed response from businesses.
While the full plan for the pedestrian mall will be shared at a city council meeting on Monday, the city has already said the mall will operate from June 30 to Sept. 5.
The proposed plan includes road closures on Water Street from Adelaide Street to Prescott Street, and closures on George Street from Adelaide Street to Water Street, according to an update from the city.
The pedestrian mall was introduced in 2020 as a way to bring foot traffic into the city's downtown and give a leg up to businesses struggling through the first wave of COVID-19.
"I think it's proven itself as a really successful animal. It's a great economic generator for downtown, brings people together," said Lorne Loder, owner of Boca Tapas Bar and Cojones Tacos and Tequila on Water Street.
"I think it's the item that downtown St. John's has been looking for for decades now to bring people down from all walks of life."
This year's pedestrian mall does come with some regulation changes for businesses, including the addition of a parklet fee. The fee was waived during the first two iterations of the mall, allowing businesses and restaurants to expand into the sidewalk at no additional cost.
The fee will cost businesses $385 per parking spot per month. Waiving the fees for two years cost the city about $185,000 in lost revenue, according to a media release.
Loder said he has no issue with paying the fee, or with businesses contributing to the cost of the mall. He just wishes he could have been able to start the process of getting ready for the summer sooner.
"It's practically April and they're still working on this," he said. "I'd like to see it open May 1.… Not the pedestrian mall, but the parklet program. I don't see any reason why we can't have the patios out there in May."
Duckworth businesses left out
But while the mall will look similar to the last two years, nearby Duckworth Street is facing changes.
Businesses on the street were a part of the pedestrian mall last year, but the city removed Duckworth from the mall this year based on feedback. Adding Duckworth Street to the pedestrian mall in 2021 cost the city $167,000.
Kate Vallis, co-founder of Piatto Pizzeria and Enoteca, said her business had success due to their location at the end of Duckworth Street but she knows it wasn't the same for everyone.
"There was issues with how it was set up last year, and I believe Duckworth Street was never really set up for success," Vallis said.
"But all of these projects and initiatives are all works in progress.… Hopefully over time we get to a point that will benefit all the downtown core instead of favouring one street over another."
Vallis said businesses are grateful to the city for letting them share their feedback on last year's mall but she believes more can be done this year to help nearby businesses succeed, such as waiving the parklet fee or looking at different road closures to better include the surrounding area in the future.
"The difference in sales between being in the pedestrian mall and out of the pedestrian mall over the last two summers has been staggering between the two streets," she said. "So I think the city needs to look at that and try to do something to help Duckworth Street in the same way they're trying to help Water Street."
Despite not being part of the mall this year, Vallis said she's in favour fo it because it benefits the entire downtown core, with businesses still in recovery mode from two years of pandemic losses.
With files from William Ping