Downtown Lansing eyes 'social districts' to expand outdoor dining
Craig LyonsCorrection: A proposed social district in downtown Lansing will run between Allegan and Washtenaw streets. An earlier of this version of this article, and the caption on the photo showing the alley, gave an incorrect name for Allegan Street.
LANSING – Downtown Lansing could soon become a hub for outdoor dining and drinking if a proposal to create "social districts" moves forward.
Downtown Lansing Inc. has proposed three areas in Lansing to create social zones, which are outdoor dining areas that connect several restaurants or bars. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently amended the state’s alcohol laws to allow cities and towns to create the zones for drinking and dining to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The outdoor districts would allow customers to sit in a specific area but patronize several businesses within that zone.
Cathleen Edgerly, executive director of DLI, said several downtown business owners approached her about the social district concept and she’s had many discussions about creative ways to support restaurants and bars.
“They have a very long road to recovery ahead of them,” she said.
Edgerly pitched the idea to the City Council's Committee of the Whole on Monday.
DLI’s initial proposal includes three social districts:
- The alley from Allegan Street to Washtenaw Street, behind the 200 block of South Washington
- Near Rotary Park around MP Social and the former City Market
- An alley behind the 2000 block of East Michigan Avenue, near Arcardia, the Green Door and the Avenue
The social districts will allow businesses to partner and encourage customers to move between the businesses in the outdoor areas, Edgerly said.
The full plans for the social districts are not yet finalized.
Not your normal outdoor dining
The social district concept is new to Michigan and would allow an area with two or more licensed establishments to set up a space for people to sit, eat, drink or watch entertainment. People could freely move around the district and get service from any number of licensed establishments.
Whitmer in July approved legislation to allow cocktails to-go and creating social districts to give restaurants and bars more seating options while social distancing. That same day, Whitmer ordered bars and restaurants that earn more than 70% of their gross receipts from alcohol sales to close, citing a growing number of positive COVID cases tied to indoor seating.
Michigan bars, restaurants get OK on 'cocktails to go' from House panel
Scott Ellis, executive director of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association and president of MichiGrain Distillery, said the Liquor Control Board would need to approve a social district and wants to see places that have created a plan to make it work.
“There’s a ton of cities that want to do this,” Ellis said. “I think there’s ways to make this happen.”
The social districts are different from expanded outdoor seating, like the area East Lansing created along Albert Avenue, Ellis said.
Those areas are still tied to a particular location but the social districts would be open areas people can move around with their food or drinks without being anchored to a single establishment, Ellis said.
“This would be a legitimate zone you could walk around,” Ellis said.
Proposal gets early council support
Several council members are eager to see the districts created and perhaps expanded to additional areas.
“I think we need to help our businesses,” Council Member Kathie Dunbar said.
Dunbar thought the downtown alley is a good location, but could also think of spots in REO Town and Old Town that too could work in the future.
Council Member Brandon Betz said he’d like to see the proposal move quickly.
“I’ve got businesses saying they’re not going to open until this happens,” he said.
Council President Peter Spadafore said he'd like to get the social districts moving quickly, and aims to have an item on the council's next meeting agenda.
“My intention is to move this in two weeks, if possible,” Spadafore said. “It’s a wonderful tool in our chest.”
The City Council would first have to approve the creation of the social districts, review the scope of the areas and ensure proper safety plans are in place.
Ellis said DLI would still need to coordinate its plans with the police department and get proper signage to show where the social district ends.
Contact reporter Craig Lyons at 517-377-1047 or calyons@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @craigalyons.