by No matter what happens from now until the end of the year, 2020 will always be remembered as the year of the Pandemic. Small businesses have struggled to stay afloat. Restaurants’ indoor dining areas were off limits, so they had to get creative with contact-free procedures like online ordering and curbside pickup/delivery. As well, many small local retailers adopted similar policies.
As we moved into Yellow, then the Green Phase in June, people were, and still are, a bit antsy about indoor dining and shopping at their favorite haunts. it’s perfectly well within reason since we’ve basically been on a lock down since March.
In an effort to move towards ‘normalcy’ and get local economies going again, Wayne and West Chester seem to be making some interesting moves!
Wayne’s World
Radnor Township, The Wayne Business Association and the North Wayne Avenue business owners came up with the brainchild of the Wayne Picnic Grove! It appears that the grove opened on June 10th and will remain open until July 10th, 8 AM to 10 PM. The main focus is to encourage people to shop Wayne, pick up their favorite grub and then relax in an outdoor setting. Kudos to all involved in the development of this idea!
We’ve shared the video below from the MLTV YouTube page – so give a listen to Deanna Doane, VP of the Wayne Business Association, and others involved to get the low down.
The West Chester Way
Meanwhile, in West Chester, there are similar rumblings in conjunction with the concept of ‘Main Street Strong’. They are going to create an Open-Air Marketplace. But this would be on a larger scale involving temporarily closing off Gay Street to vehicular traffic 24/7, from Matlack to Darlington, possibly through the Fall.
According to Mayor Herrin’s Borough Briefs, the Borough is working with PennDOT to get the necessary approval for the plan. When they get the thumbs up, Gay Street will close and work will get underway. Click on Mayor Herrin’s link above for the details.
We wish you all a safe, happy and healthy Summer!
