Kirkwood Avenue during the outdoor dining program.
(Joe Hren, WFIU/WTIU News)
This article has been updated.
The City of Bloomington is considering a long-term extension of a program that temporarily closes Kirkwood Avenue to motor vehicles every year.
Officials want to bolster the Expanded Outdoor Dining Program, which typically closes two-and-a-half blocks to drivers for a few months each year. The program began in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been continued each year since, with annual approval from the Bloomington City Council.
City council members say they’re looking at ways to extend the program — possibly indefinitely — so that the program does not need the council’s approval each year. Extending the program would not mean a permanent, year-round closure of Kirkwood Avenue.
A public discussion of the program’s future came up at a Feb. 14 city council meeting. That night, the city gave a presentation about the Clear Creek Reconstruction project, which will affect access to part of Kirkwood Avenue this summer and is likley to affect the outdoor dining program.
At that meeting, council member Matt Flaherty suggested indefinitely extending the program.
“My feeling is that after three or four years of pilots, we should probably make a decision about whether the program should be full-scale, or go away entirely,” Flaherty told WFIU/WTIU news. “I'm of the opinion that it should be a permanent program.”
Matt Flaherty at a Feb. 14 council meeting. (Courtesy, Community Access Television Services)
Flaherty said the current practice of annually approving a program extension creates uncertainty for businesses on Kirkwood, and as a result, prevents them from fully investing in their outdoor dining spaces.
“What we've heard from businesses is that having more certainty around the continuity of the program would allow them to invest more resources into their outdoor dining facilities and aesthetics,” he said.
Andrea de la Rosa, the city’s assistant director for small business development, told the council last month that the city wants a more pedestrian-friendly Kirkwood and commitment to the program.
“Overall, it is a liked program, and I think there will be more buy-in and more stakeholders if we can take the program seriously to the next level,” de la Rosa told council members. “I’m ready to go the distance on this program if you’d like.”
Andrea de la Rosa at a Feb. 14 council meeting. (Courtesy, Community Access Television Services)
Responding to an inquiry from WFIU/WTIU News, de la Rosa wrote the city's Department of Economic & Sustainable Development is working with city legal on an ordinance to extend the program.
Despite this, officials say there has been some confusion and public misperception about the city’s plans for Kirkwood.
Mayor Kerry Thomson, who took office in January, said the city wants to continue the seasonal program but does not plan to close Kirkwood to drivers permanently. She addressed the community in a Monday video on the city’s Facebook page.
“This really was simply a conversation about whether or not we could get more than one year of approval for the seasonal closure of Kirkwood for outdoor dining,” Thomson said.
Kerry Thomson in a Monday video address. (Courtesy, City of Bloomington)
Thomson added her administration would not make a decision as significant as permanently closing Kirkwood Avenue without first gathering input from residents and business owners.
“I want to assure you: in my administration, we are not going to surprise you with a major initiative that permanently changes the face of Bloomington,” she said. “We plan to invite you to the table first, ask for your input and then develop plans moving forward that are in the best interest of our community.”
de la Rosa told WFIU/WTIU News any previous mention of a permanent closure at the February council meeting was made "merely in passing."
Council member Isak Asare told WFIU/WTIU News the idea of closing Kirkwood long-term has come up in conversations he has been involved in, but added nothing formal is being discussed.
“Nothing is going to happen without significant stakeholder engagement,” Asare said. “Where we’re at right now is thinking about crafting a collective, bold vision for the future.”
Asare during an interview with WFIU/WTIU News. (Devan Ridgway, WFIU/WTIU News)
Asare added officials should consider aspects such as connectivity and accessibility when discussing Kirkwood’s future.
Commenting on Thomson’s video address, some residents expressed concerns that closing Kirkwood prohibits access for people with mobility issues. Others said the closure helps reduce car dependency, makes the city more vibrant, and bolsters the local economy.
Council member Sydney Zulich represents the city's sixth district, which includes the core downtown area. She said she would support a full closure of Kirkwood if it came to the council for a vote.
She added that she is looking at ways to address accessibility concerns.
"One of the presented solutions was to offer more ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accommodating parking on intersecting streets such as Dunn and Grant and encourage other drivers to utilize nearby parking garages that, from my understanding, are not usually full," Zulich wrote to WFIU/WTIU News. " I am more than open to other ways that we can support anyone who wants to enjoy Kirkwood while it is closed to car traffic."
Sydney Zulich at a Feb. 14 council meeting. (Courtesy, Community Access Television Services)
Zulich said a full closure would enable restaurant owners to expand their outdoor services, further stimulating the local economy and providing a greater sense of community.
Echoing a point made in February by de la Rosa, Zulich added a full closure would "embody the physical connection of the university to the rest of the city."
The city’s Transportation Plan, adopted in 2019, calls for a future conversion of Kirkwood to a shared street, which focuses on slow movement and pedestrian access.
Flaherty said the city will conduct a study on Kirkwood first but has not done so yet because it has prioritized other studies first, such as one looking and College Avenue and Walnut Street.
“A shared street would allow a lot of flexibility,” Flaherty said. “It could be open to cars seasonally like we do now with the outdoor dining program. It would also allow a full-scale conversion to something like Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado — which is actually a permanent pedestrian mall for several blocks — if we wanted to consider that option any point in the future.”
He added the process and conversion to a shared street will likely happen in the next five to 10 years.
