No city fireworks lit up the sky above downtown Wilmington for the Fourth of July holiday this year, but the money those sparklers would have burned up may soon be put to another use.
Wilmington city officials will consider measures Tuesday that would expand Downtown Alive and allow the outdoor dining extension program, set to end by Sept. 7, to run until at least Oct. 18.
Downtown Alive, which resulted in some street closures Thursdays through Sundays, was implemented in June as a result of the economic toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on restaurants and other downtown businesses.
According to a city news release Friday about next week’s agenda, one of the ordinances “would allocate $58,750 toward the program. This money consists of $40,000 that was previously set aside for the cancelled July 4 fireworks, as well as $5,000 from the Downtown Business Alliance (DBA), and $13,750 in donations from participating restaurants.
“An additional $20,000 from the Municipal Services District (MSD) will be used to fund the program.”
According to agenda documents and DBA officials, the program has proven to be a success for downtown merchants who are requesting the time extension along with the addition of a parklet concept to allow more businesses to participate. A parklet is a parking space blocked off to create a different kind of space, including outdoor room for an eatery or other business.
The parklets would allow establishments on the streets that aren’t closed off for Downtown Alive to participate in the program, explained Terry Espy, president of the Downtown Business Alliance. Eighteen more businesses have signed on to participate in Downtown Alive for a total of 32, she said.
The special event manager for the program is Cool Wilmington.
Merchants hope Downtown Alive will eventually be extended to Thanksgiving.
“We’ll continue to go after additional funds and push it for as long as we can,” Espy said.
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