Mayor says it allows restaurants to expand outdoor dining.
Frederick, Md (KM) Parts of a downtown Frederick street will be closed beginning on Friday, June 11th. Mayor Michael O’Connor says Market Street between Patrick Street and Market Space will be closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM until 10:00 PM through the summer and fall. Market Space is the road that leads you to the back entrance of the Church Street parking deck before it reaches 2nd Street.
He says this will accommodate restaurants which want to offer “pop-up” dining. “More than 30 restaurants have applied, and subsequently been granted permission to move forward,” says Mayor O’Connor. “You’ve likely seen sidewalk cafes; new restaurants popping up tables in a nearby parking lot or park. These are all part of this pop-up dining program.”
The concept was a developed so that restaurants can serve meals to patrons as these establishments were not allowed to provide indoor dining due to an order from the Governor which prohibited indoor dining as a way to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. But Governor Larry Hogan said restaurants could resume allowing customers to dine in starting on Friday, June 12th at 5:00 PM.
The road closure is expected to remain in affect until the State of Emergency has been lifted, or October 31st, 2020, whichever comes first.
“I’m excited to see this come to fruition for our city and our local business owners,” says Mayor O’Connor. “Our retails corridors are coming back to life and that’s great to see.
The Mayor spoke at a briefing on Wednesday.
By Kevin McManus