With the cut of a ribbon, the capital city’s downtown pedestrian mall—the first in 50 years—officially opened on Water Street this afternoon.
Mayor Danny Breen says it all came together rather quickly with the help of Downtown St. John’s, ACOA, and various agencies.
It is official! Water street pedestrian mall is open. @590VOCM @VOCMNEWS #nltraffic pic.twitter.com/NelW7VYRbC
— Gerri Lynn Mackey (@GerriLynnMackey) July 3, 2020
Breen says it came about during the pandemic and is a means to help businesses, especially bars and restaurants to address capacity restrictions. He says by moving customers outside, some businesses are hoping to restore their capacity to pre-COVID levels.
It’s hoped the mall, which is closed to traffic, will draw more people into the downtown area. Councillor Debbie Hanlon encourages residents to support local businesses.
A few pics from Water Street as @CityofStJohns prepares to open the pedestrian mall. @590VOCM #nltraffic pic.twitter.com/R1TKl54jav
— Gerri Lynn Mackey (@GerriLynnMackey) July 3, 2020
Peg Norman of the Travel Bug welcomes the pedestrian mall, saying that she thinks it’s a brilliant idea and hopes it is the start of an annual event.
Andrew Corbett of Maverick Sports and Collectibles has mixed feelings. He thinks it’s a good idea, but worries that this is not the year to try it out with lower tourist traffic. He says the city presented a couple of options but did not go with the one he was hoping for.
The pedestrian mall will run from July 3 to September 7, from noon to 10 p.m. daily.