The Kent City Council voted unanimously this week to once again close Franklin Avenue to car traffic to provide more outside seating and give a boost to nearby businesses.
“People really loved the outdoor seating,” City Council Member Gwen Rosenberg said. “With the residents and of course with the business owners. So bringing it back was a no-brainer.”
The practice of partially closing Franklin Avenue began as a Covid precaution to allow locals to patronize the bars and restaurants on the street without sitting inside, but has continued during the summer months since.
“[The outdoor seating area] started so that residents could keep visiting our downtown businesses,” Rosenberg said. “But people loved it. It was like an impromptu block party. It almost feels like a vacation down there. It’s very fun, very Kent.”
There is no set date for the road closure, but City Manager Dave Ruller said the city is “aiming for the first week of May.”
Ruller said continued poor weather — it had snowed the day before the April 20 meeting — has made the reopening date difficult to pin down, but that it would be opened as soon as weather and traffic allowed.
The outdoor seating area is not to be confused with the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), but the initiatives do go hand in hand.
“You don’t have to drink and utilize DORA to enjoy the outdoor seating, but obviously that is part of why people are there,” Rosenberg said. “That is why it is so popular with the bars and restaurants, but just to be able to socialize and see so many people you know is great.”
DORA covers a large portion of downtown Kent along Water Street, Franklin Avenue and Haymaker Parkway and allows residents who purchase designated wristbands and cups to drink alcohol on the street. Unlike the outdoor seating area, DORA is in place year-round.
The outdoor seating area is included within the DORA boundaries, and it usually serves as additional seating for nearby bars like Ray’s Place, Dominick’s Tavern, The Loft and The Venice Cafe, among others.
The City of Kent will see several more outdoor events as the weather improves.
Council members approved ordinances to close North Water Street from Main Street to Portage Road for the Kent Craft Beer Festival on May 21.
The Kent Jaycees organized the event, which will host numerous craft beer vendors. Tickets are on sale now for both general and VIP admission, which will allow attendees to sample beer and partake in the event.
Additionally, council approved the Main Street Kent Art and Wine Festival to take place on June 4.
The event will take place at Hometown Bank Plaza and will see 13 wineries and over 50 artists visit the city. The Portager is a sponsor for this event.
Owen MacMillan is a reporter with the Collaborative News Lab @ Kent State University, producing local news coverage in partnership with The Portager.