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Segments of Main Street in Downtown Houston that were designated for outdoor dining during the COVID-19 pandemic will permanently remain in place, per a vote by Houston City Council late last month, Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported.
The station reported that city hall left it up to establishments from Rush Street to Commerce Street to build the spaces three years ago, and the city accommodated those who did by closing parts of Main to vehicular traffic.
Johnny Reyes, who’s affiliated with Finn Hall, a food court at 712 Main, favored the setup.
"Besides it giving us more room for seating, it's also really pretty, and people like to dine outside," Reyes said in the report.
According to Houston FOX affiliate KRIV, the city council didn’t debate the item and went forward with unanimous approval at its Wednesday, March 22 meeting.
The concept emerged from the city’s More Space: Main Street program that councilmembers approved initially as a pilot in late 2020, KRIV reported.
Five businesses, including Finn Hall, enlisted in the program, with the city looking to work with the Downtown District on a long-term design that adheres to all municipal codes and requirements, the station reported.
“The long-term plan is a space that is really active,” David Fields, chief transportation planner for the city, told Houston NBC affiliate KPRC.
Fields added that the additions on the bustling downtown corridor, on which the METRORail’s Red Line runs through, could serve as a blueprint for other parts of the city, the station reported.
Like Reyes, the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium’s Joshua Justice sees plenty of benefits in the outdoor space.
“The infrastructure is here, the people are here,” Justice, the marketing director for the popular watering hole at 705 Main, told KPRC.
He added that the Flying Saucer invested $17,000 in its outdoor seating.