NYC has been making the most of its outdoor spaces during the pandemic, mainly closing streets to traffic to make way for activities and dining.
And now, local NYC shops can join in on that business opportunity, that’s notably safer during the pandemic.
Mayor de Blasio announced on Wednesday, Oct. 28 that the new “Open Storefronts” program would be kicking off this week, following the “Open Restaurants” plan and offering some shopping help for small businesses as the holiday season kicks in.
According to the DOT website, the initiative:
“Allows eligible businesses to conduct activity on sidewalks, on roadways in the Open Streets: Restaurants program, or a combination of both. In addition to businesses engaged in retail trade, repair stores, personal care services, and dry-cleaning and laundry services are able to use outdoor space for seating, queuing, or display of dry goods.”
Stores must submit an application online, and only ground-floor storefronts are eligible, who are already directly accessible from the street and have store frontage on the sidewalk.
Unlike the Open Restaurants program, which has been extended year-round, the Open Storefronts program will start this Friday, October 30 and last through December 31, 2020.
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