Some much anticipated Downtown Revitalization Initiative work is expected to get underway in the coming months in downtown Geneva- but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some concerns in the community.
The Finger Lakes Times reports that some merchants and building owners are worried that some of the sidewalk design elements in the project- expected to begin in June- will not have a positive impact on business downtown.
Most of the changes will be coming to Castle St. However, changes to Exchange and Main streets will also happen. The design of the changes calls for bike shelters and public seating. Some business owners in the business Improvement District worry that the changes will impact street side space that businesses rely on and use.
Lake Drum Brewing, for example, has used a parklet in front of it’s Castle St. brewery, and that will go away. “That’s going to go away, along with the temporary sidewalk seating (in other areas on Castle),” Lake Drum owner Victor Pultinas told the Finger Lakes Times. “If it (the street seating) was rearranged with the sidewalk closest to the street, it could allow seating.”
The new seating which will be made available through the improvements could not be used for dining or drinking- that would violate state liquor authority rules.
Some are calling for the plans to be reconfigured so that these issues do not become permanent.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].