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Idea floated to make portion of Market Street in Potsdam for pedestrians only, similar to Church Street in Burlington, Vt.

Posted 7/14/16

POTSDAM -- The idea of converting a portion of Market Street into a pedestrian-only outdoor marketplace is gaining an airing as the Potsdam Summer Festival gets underway. In hopes of rejuvenating the …

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Idea floated to make portion of Market Street in Potsdam for pedestrians only, similar to Church Street in Burlington, Vt.

Posted

POTSDAM -- The idea of converting a portion of Market Street into a pedestrian-only outdoor marketplace is gaining an airing as the Potsdam Summer Festival gets underway.

In hopes of rejuvenating the downtown business district, some business and community leaders have been discussing the elimination of motorized traffic on Market Street between Main Street and Elm Street, the same stretch of roadway closed to vehicle traffic and taken up by the Summer Festival’s Main Stage music performances and the popular sidewalk sales.

Petitions are being circulated outdoors at the festival and online.

Those involved in the effort, named The Sandstone Block Coalition, hope to convince town and village leaders to engage the New York State Department of Transportation in a discussion about the concept to see what steps would be needed to move the idea forward, according to a press release from the coalition.

They say they envision year-round outdoor events that would draw local residents and neighboring consumers to the corridor.

Among themselves, organizers have discussed the potential for hosting special events like a chocolate festival, a fireman’s chili cook off, a barbeque challenge, a jazz festival, dog shows, art installations, fitness boot camps, and pop-up cinema. Others in the community have suggested that outdoor weddings could be held on “The Block” and well-organized events such as an Oktoberfest or Winterfest celebrations could be planned.

“The development of the corridor also opens up new opportunities for outdoor dining and community gathering,” the announcement said.

“The Sandstone Block Coalition has kicked off their advocacy and publicity drive during Summer Fest in order to capitalize on the real time opportunity for people to consider the concept firsthand while they enjoy the festivities. A booth may be set up on the western side of the corridor but if not, there will still be several community members canvassing the area with clip boards,” the release said.

The coalition has a Facebook page.

The organizers contend that outdoor pedestrian malls have been successful and remain highly popular in communities like Burlington, Vt., Ithaca, N.Y. and Charlottesville, Va. “The coalition envisions a concept that is similar but uniquely tailored to individual style of Potsdam,” the announcement said.