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Restaurant patrons in Downers Grove will have the opportunity to enjoy entrees outside this year now that the Village Council is expected to approve an outdoor dining proposal at its March 2 meeting.
“It will allow outdoor dining areas to be expanded similar to what occurred in 2020,” Mike Baker, deputy village manager, said at the Feb. 16 Village Council meeting.
The village is partnering with Downtown Management Corp. “to tailor this program to the downtown area,” Baker said.
The Downtown Management Corp.’s board of directors at its Feb. 4 board meeting recommended approval of expanded outdoor dining in the downtown area this year.
“The organization will be assisting the village in enhancing the aesthetic appearance of the overall outdoor dining arrangements in the downtown area,” Baker said.
The council is expected to formally approve the plan at its March 2 meeting, but the village already has reached out to restaurants, Baker said. The program will take effect March 15 and will be available to restaurants throughout the village.
Mayor Bob Barnett praised the decision as a way to keep the momentum going as the village strives to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve seen this be not only an important thing for our restaurants, but I think in most ways something our residents have benefited from and enjoyed,” Barnett said. “If we can find a way to keep this ball rolling forward, that’s a good thing for everybody.”
The cost of the barricades for the program in the downtown area is estimated at $45,000. The Downtown TIF includes funding for these costs. The Downtown Management Corp. has agreed to buy decorative covers for the barricades that will improve their aesthetic appearance, village officials said.
An outdoor dining program was put in place in May 2020 in response to restrictions brought on by the pandemic.
The program will continue this year to include portions of on-street parking areas and public sidewalks in the downtown area.
Officials said the program will continue because Restore Illinois plan restrictions remain in effect, which limit the number of patrons who can dine indoors, and because restaurants overall experienced negative financial impact because of COVID-19 last year. Food and beverage tax revenue from March through December 2020 declined by 34.2% compared with the same period in 2019.
The village said it will work closely with the Downtown Management Corp. throughout the year to determine which elements should be recommended to remain permanent in 2022 and beyond.