Could new 'Street Seats' revitalize downtown Ottawa?
'If it all works out well and it doesn't cause issues, I'm all for it,' said Suzanne Quintal, the boutique's owner. 'It looks cute.
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'I think this is a great corner to do it on because we've already got restaurants here, there's my shop (and) a tattoo shop. We're already a lively little spot, so I think that it can only enhance us.'
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For the past year, Quintal said she's been suggesting ways to enhance the neighbourhood to her Centretown BIA, like adding a farmer's market.
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'I don't see why we have to go to Lansdowne to do fun things,' she added.
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In anticipation of more evening customers — thanks to Florence Street's stage for local performers just steps away — Quintal said she plans to adjust her store hours.
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'Instead of closing at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. during the week, I'm going to open up a little later,' she said. 'Probably opening officially from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and if there's still stuff happening, I'll stay until 9 p.m. to take advantage of golden hour.
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'It's nice to see good things happening on this street.'
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Down the block from Honey Hi Boutique and adjacent to the bright pink set up is Pizzeria da Romolo, co-owned by Gianni Balestra.
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In general, Balestra said he thinks Street Seats is 'a great idea' that will drive in more customers.
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'I believe in, 'monkey see, monkey do,' and if somebody orders a pizza, the next guy will order a pizza,' he said. 'The more the merrier.'
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An issue Balestra said he anticipates is whenever he has to unload his weekly deliveries now that there are fewer available parking spaces.
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'My staff will have to physically carry everything to the pizzeria,' he said, adding that his staff will have to walk an extra 150 feet. 'It's just not fun, that's all.'
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Another concern of Balestra's is that people may use the new benches to sleep on overnight.
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'I've seen that happen before on the park bench that used to be located on Florence Street,' he said. 'People don't have a place to sleep or lie down anywhere, so I'm concerned people will use the setup.
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'I don't want to be negative about it, I'm going to stay positive. If we remove the issue of parking and all this, it's going to be great.'
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Street Seats is just the beginning for Sabrina Lemay, executive director of the Centretown BIA.
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'I think the neighbourhood needs a lot of things, and I think this is the start of what we hope to see as a revitalized downtown,' she said. 'It is a pilot project, so time will tell if this is exactly what it needs.'
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The fact that Street Seats is a pilot project means that 'we learn as we do,' according to Troster.
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'We can use our experiences this summer to figure out what works and what we can expand on,' she said. 'It's not a permanent installation. We can move things around next summer.
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'People want a chance to play,' she added. 'I'm very much looking forward to this change and to see how people embrace it.'
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