City of New Orleans Launches Streatery Pilot

12/17/2020

[ Article was originally posted on www.nola.gov ]

 The City of New Orleans, in partnership with the Downtown Development District (DDD) and The Domain Companies, is coordinating a Streatery Pilot in the CBD’s South Market neighborhood. The Pilot will involve a street closure downtown on the lakebound side of Girod Street between South Rampart Street and O’Keefe Avenue from Dec. 15, 2020 to Jan. 2, 2021. The Streatery Pilot will close off the entire public right of way to through traffic to be utilized for business activities along that stretch, and for patrons to use proper social distance. No parking, loading zones, or residential access points will be affected during the pilot.

“One of Mayor Cantrell's priorities has been for us as a City to remain nimble and test street treatments that provide more spaces for businesses to service their patrons while occupancy is restricted due to COVID-19. We'd like to thank our Department of Public Works and the project team that helped get this project in place,” said Laura Bryan, Director of the Office of Transportation.

“Outdoor dining and sidewalk cafes have played a vital role in Downtown New Orleans’ growth as an inviting, amenity-rich collection of neighborhoods,” said DDD President and CEO Kurt Weigle. “Downtown eateries are vital to our economy and as we work to move through this challenging time, it is critical that we provide measures to support them. The DDD has long advocated for initiatives such as parklets and streateries which have proven to be an asset to cities. This addition is another step in preserving a thriving Downtown by supporting those who make it possible.”

“Creative initiatives such as the Streatery Pilot are vital to helping our city’s restaurants through this time,” said Matt Schwartz, Domain’s co-CEO. “We’re proud to welcome the pilot to South Market and invite patrons to dine comfortably and safely while supporting local businesses.”

The City is developing the short-term Streatery Pilot based on the urgency of supporting businesses while balancing public health imperatives during COVID. This program coincides with the short-term Outdoor Dining initiatives that are being implemented as an effort to curb the detrimental impacts of COVID-19 on businesses and restaurants. The program is centered around the following goals:

• Supporting New Orleans businesses during the COVID pandemic by providing additional space to safely conduct their business.
• Providing safe and comfortable social spaces in the public right-of-way.
• Activating New Orleans streets and engaging in placemaking by enabling unique community-created spaces to extend into the street.
• Encouraging walking, biking, and use of transit.

The Streatery will be limited to the use of the existing businesses along this stretch of Girod Street that will be able to expand operations into the roadway during the pilot. This project is a partnership between several city agencies, including Office of Transportation, Department of Public Works, Office of Economic Development, and Health Department. It is also an initiative under the Mayor’s COVID-19 Reopening Advisory Panel led by Liana Elliott, Deputy Chief of Staff.

For more information, contact the Office of Transportation, movingneworleans@nola.gov.

SOURCE: https://www.nola.gov/mayor/news/december-2020/city-of-new-orleans-launches-streatery-pilot/