By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Starting at 5:30 a.m. Friday, a team of volunteers began erecting the three parklets in downtown Bowling Green. From her window seat inside Juniper Brewing Co., Tammy Starr had a front row view to the parklet being pieced together on South Main Street.
“Yay. I like anything that pushes us outdoors,” Starr said.
Though the parklet will take up parking spaces in front of Juniper and Waddington Jewelers, Starr is hopeful it will bring more foot traffic to the downtown.
“I think it’s worth a try,” she said.
Across the street, in front of Grounds for Thought, Nick Schroeder was sitting outside reading – watching with interest as the parklets started taking shape.
He too is looking forward to the parklet that will be constructed in front of the coffee shop.
“I’m waiting to see how much traffic effect there is,” he said. “My wife and I really like to eat outside. It’s good to see Bowling Green doing this.”
And at the third parklet location, on East Wooster Street, the owner of Kabob It watched with anticipation as the wooden structure came together.
“It’s amazing,” said Zach Baroudi. “It’s going to make the street more lively.”
By Friday morning, Baroudi said he had already received five phone calls from customers who wanted to place reservations for the parklet.
“This is a great addition to our dining room,” he said.
Inside Kabob It, the tables, 20 chairs and umbrellas were being put together for the parklet space.
As for the traffic buzzing by, Baroudi said he believes the parklets and vehicles can co-exist safely.
“There are a bunch of other cities where these are everywhere and there are no problems,” he said.
Each of the parklets are 36 feet long and 6 ½ feet wide. There are flower planters on the ends and on the street sides, and there will be lighting. The merchants provide the seating.
The parklets will stay put until November, and then will return next April.
Located in the parking lane adjacent to the curb, parklets are designed as an extension of the sidewalk. They have the potential to greatly increase outdoor dining options and gathering spaces downtown, where narrow sidewalks limit outdoor seating.
Legislation to permit parklets downtown was passed by BG City Council in April.
Originally, the plans were announced as a solution to social distancing requirements for COVID-19. But since those restrictions were lifted, the parklets have become a way to help downtown businesses, according to City Council member Rachel Phipps, who has spearheaded the effort.
“I think of it as an extension of the sidewalk,” Phipps said. “This is a practical solution to having narrow sidewalks. My hope is it gets people downtown, shopping in our stores, eating at our restaurants.”
“It’s an aesthetic improvement to the downtown,” she said.
But some people have reservations about the parklets. Bill Donnelly, past chair of the Black Swamp Arts Festival, said he is worried about the effect of the structures on the event – which is the biggest economic weekend for the downtown each year.
“How do we balance everything?” Donnelly said. “We’ll see how these work for Bowling Green businesses.”
The concern is that the two parklets on South Main Street will disrupt the placement of the artists’ booths, since space must be left for fire safety equipment.
“We’re working on adjusting our footprint,” Donnelly said of the Black Swamp Arts Festival. But that footprint has led to a prize-winning arts festival, and changing it may have unwanted consequences to the event that normally brings a swell of visitors to the downtown.
Viewing the parklets from a different perspective, Tony Vetter, executive director of the Downtown Bowling Green Special Improvement District, watched the construction with hopeful expectations.
“They are bigger than I thought they would be – but that’s not a bad thing. It creates more downtown space,” he said. “I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised.”
Vetter shared his “if you build it, they will come” philosophy for the downtown.
“I think people are going to really use them,” he said. “It’s all about more foot traffic downtown.”
Construction materials for the parklets cost between $3,500 and $4,000 each. As of Friday morning, more than 60 donations had been made for the structures.
The parklets were built by Ellen Fure Smith, artist and owner of Little Bare Furniture, with the assistance of faculty and staff from Bowling Green State University School of Art’s Integrated Studio.
The Parklet Project has been a community effort. While Smith led the build on BGSU’s campus, Sue Wolf and her team at Wolf’s Blooms and Berries planted flowers to add color to the three parklets. The parklets and planters were loaded and transported downtown Friday by a truck from Jim Palmer Excavating Inc.
Parklet Project members include Smith, Chris Mowen, Jeff Dennis, Vetter and Phipps.
The group has partnered with the Downtown BG Foundation to accept donations. Anyone wishing to support the Parklet Project can do so online or by sending a contribution to “Downtown Foundation, Inc. – Parklets” c/o Jeff Dennis, PO Box 406, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402. More information is available at downtownbgohio.org/parklet-project.
