03-04-2019, 04:02 PM
I think the Downtown BIA is likely to be the biggest obstacle, but I also think they're more likely to be a bit more amenable to closures than Uptown.
There's a few factors that I'm thinking of that contribute:
- Uptown was hit by several years of construction and uncertainty around timeframes. The construction work necessary for the ION downtown impacted King much less because the ION doesn't go on it. Uptown businesses are very closure-averse right now.
- The behaviour of drivers Downtown is different than those Uptown. In part because of the legacy of the Charles and Duke one-way circuit. While that's entirely gone, Downtown is structured in part to discourage car traffic on King St already.
- As mentioned up-thread, King street downtown is closed on a regular basis. Not just on weekends, on weekdays as well and unless you're paying close attention it seems random. Whether or not can drive straight through downtown in the summer is unpredictable, so I think folks avoid it a bit already. Because of that, I also think people who come downtown to shop are more aware of parking opportunities. Also, there's fewer interesting retail options downtown. It's mostly restaurants and events, versus boutiques, that draw people here.
There's a few factors that I'm thinking of that contribute:
- Uptown was hit by several years of construction and uncertainty around timeframes. The construction work necessary for the ION downtown impacted King much less because the ION doesn't go on it. Uptown businesses are very closure-averse right now.
- The behaviour of drivers Downtown is different than those Uptown. In part because of the legacy of the Charles and Duke one-way circuit. While that's entirely gone, Downtown is structured in part to discourage car traffic on King St already.
- As mentioned up-thread, King street downtown is closed on a regular basis. Not just on weekends, on weekdays as well and unless you're paying close attention it seems random. Whether or not can drive straight through downtown in the summer is unpredictable, so I think folks avoid it a bit already. Because of that, I also think people who come downtown to shop are more aware of parking opportunities. Also, there's fewer interesting retail options downtown. It's mostly restaurants and events, versus boutiques, that draw people here.