Kirkwood Avenue’s summer closure will likely continue for the foreseeable future.
The Bloomington City Council unanimously approved an amended ordinance Wednesday supporting the Kirkwood conversion, which closes the avenue to motor vehicle traffic from the 100 East through 500 East block.
The street closure, first introduced in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic, will last annually from March to November, with Economic and Sustainable Development Department staff determining the exact dates.
The Outdoor Dining Program final guidelines, alternative seating and encroachment policies still need approval from the Board of Public Works, according to the meeting packet.
Last year, due to construction projects on Kirkwood Avenue, the city did not close the street; it allowed “parklets,” extended space for restaurants in parking spaces.
The original ordinance would have kept with this trend as it was originally presented. It also authorized the program to continue only through 2028.
Councilmembers Kate Rosenbarger and Isak Asare, however, presented an amendment to bring back the street closure. It also removed the language limiting it through 2028.
Jane Kupersmith, Bloomington director of economic and sustainable development, presented the developments on the program since its implementation. She said city staff initially recommended against closing all of Kirkwood but could see multiple ways forward with the program.
Kupersmith detailed steps businesses have taken to develop their outdoor spaces and noted platforms placed in the parklets to put them at curb level for accessibility purposes.
She said there’s consensus among business owners, staff and city council members that there needs to be consistency with the program year to year.
Kupersmith shared a survey of 22 Kirkwood businesses’ opinions on outdoor dining, though she said “survey fatigue,” specifically among non-supporters of the program, may have impacted the results.
Of those surveyed, 50% supported both parklets and the Kirkwood closure, 40.9% supported only the parklets and 9.1% did not support an expanded outdoor dining program this year. Additionally, 36.4% of respondents said their revenue increased due to the program, while 22.7% said it decreased.
Some council members raised concerns about accessibility with businesses and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant parking.
Chaz Mottinger, economic and sustainable development special projects manager, said she, along with Michael Shermis of community and family resources and Mike Stewart in engineering, worked with businesses in violation of accessibility guidelines to correct them in past years. This year, they’ve also laid out ADA guidelines more clearly, she said.
Kupersmith said there was an inventory of ADA spaces downtown in 2022, but the spots will be reevaluated again soon. Mottinger said in a past year, for example, they added an ADA spot alongside a closed crosswalk for Trinity Episcopal Church.
During public comment, multiple business owners supported the amendment. Galen Cassady, general manager of Uptown Cafe, said his business saw a slight decrease in customers in 2024 without the full Kirkwood closure. He also said the closure would be safer for diners outside.
Bob Costello, president of the Kirkwood Community Association and owner of Village Deli and Soma Coffeehouse and Juice Bar, said closing the street gives Bloomingtonians more spontaneous interactions with the community. He also said with a lack of consistent plan for the program, it’s hard for business owners to spend money on materials for outside seating.
Both the amendment and the final ordinance were approved unanimously.
Asare said the long-term goal for Kirkwood is to transform it into a “dynamic corridor.” The city’s Transportation Plan, adopted in 2019 as an amendment to its Comprehensive Plan, suggests redesigning Kirkwood as a shared street focused on pedestrians.
“Tonight, I think that if we vote for this, we can take a step towards shaping Bloomington’s future,” Asare said.
Editor’s note: Chaz Mottinger is a former staffer of the Indiana Daily Student.
