For six months, downtown businesses along Kirkwood Avenue have operated without the sound of engines or the rush of traffic, turning the street into a space for pedestrians and outdoor dining. While some blocks still remain filled with patios and summer activity, others are beginning to reopen as the city restores vehicle access to the downtown corridor.
The city first closed off parts of Kirkwood for outdoor seating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the city has closed off parts of the city each year.
Vehicle traffic began returning to parts of Kirkwood in early October, when the 300 block — home to the Monroe County Public Library — reopened following Hoosier Hoops, an fan event hosted by IU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams Oct. 2.
The 100, 400 and 500 blocks of Kirkwood, which run from Uptown Cafe to Lennie’s, are scheduled to reopen to cars and parking Nov. 12, marking the end of this year’s seasonal closure.
With the 300 block already open and others soon to follow, business owners along Kirkwood are preparing for another shift — one that changes how they seat customers, attract shoppers and adjust to the return of downtown traffic.
Uptown Cafe, located at 102 E. Kirkwood Ave., is preparing to take down its outdoor patio.
Co-owner and General Manager Galen Cassady said the restaurant built its raised wooden deck during the summer to create a better atmosphere for outdoor diners.
“They love it,” Cassady said. “A lot of people have dined in other communities that have closed streets to pedestrians and have expanded outdoor dining, and they’re excited to see that brought to Bloomington as well. So it’s something that first started during COVID, but has stuck around since then, and people really enjoy it.”
The patio, which adds about 60 seats, will soon be removed and stored until next year.
“It reduces our capacity,” Cassady said. “I mean, that’s another 60 or so seats out there. But you know, the cold weather is going to reduce our capacity, so we don’t really have an option during the winter to seat people outside anyway, so it's not really going to impact.”
Just a couple blocks east of the Uptown Cafe, on the portion of Kirkwood Avenue that has already reopened to traffic, Soma Coffee House and Juice Bar, located at 322 E. Kirkwood Ave., has seen little change since cars returned to the block and doesn’t have outdoor seating on the closed street, said General Manager Mallory Chapman. She said the flow of business has remained steady.
“I just don’t think it made a huge difference,” Chapman said. “I think we get the same amount of foot traffic whether the roads are closed or not, because I think most of our business comes from foot traffic. So, like, a lot of drivers don’t make a huge difference, honestly.”
Another block east, another business is adjusting to the changing season.
At Pitaya, located at 417 E. Kirkwood Ave. Assistant Manager Mina Guetersloh said it’s easier for customers to visit the women’s clothing boutique when parking opens back up, though outdoor dining nearby during the summer also helps attract walk-in shoppers.
“If there is outdoor seating, then more people are sitting there staring at our windows, so they're more likely to come in,” Guetersloh said. “If they're sitting and staring at an item, for you know, however long the duration of, like, a dinner is.”
A block east at Lennie’s, located at 514 E. Kirkwood Ave., the brewpub took advantage of the seasonal street closure with outdoor seating for customers during warmer months.
Hostess and support staff member Nora Collins said the upcoming street reopening doesn’t significantly affect business, which stays steady throughout the year. She said the slower pace during the closure gives employees a small break from the usual workload.
“When Kirkwood is closed, it’s kind of nice to get a break for a little bit, to have a smaller seating capacity as an employee, because it’s, you know, a little bit less that we have to worry about,” Collins said.
While Collins sees the closures as a brief change of pace, a city official views the initiative as part of a long-term plan to balance business access and downtown activity.
Assistant Director of Small Business Development Andrea de la Rosa said in an email the city is also partnering with Downtown Bloomington Inc. and Retail Strategies to study spending patterns and visitor flow in downtown Bloomington.
The data, she said, will help officials better support local businesses throughout the year and guide future decisions about how Kirkwood’s space is used.
“Our goal is not just to close a street, but to create more opportunities for businesses, residents and visitors to connect in downtown,” de la Rosa said.
