‘Yesterday I Made $6.36’ | Fells Point Business Owners Say Road Closures To Expand Outdoor Dining Aren’t Benefiting Everyone
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Baltimore, MD (WJZ) — For the past few weeks, Baltimore City has shut down several roads in Fells Point so restaurants can have more outdoor dining space amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But some business owners say it’s keeping people away.
They say their businesses are already struggling financially, and the closures are making things worse.
Beth Hawks of the store Zelda Zen on Thames Street says business is tough now after the city shut down major streets in Fells Point to traffic.
“Yesterday I made $6.36,” Hawks said.
Parts of Thames and Broadway have been closed until September 7 so restaurants have more space for outdoor dining.
Hawks said she wants to see part of it opened back up.
“My suggestion is that they need to make Thames Street one-way and they should put the concrete barricades along the length of Thames Street where the parklets are,” she said.
David Gilmore of Kilwins Ice Cream says it isn’t clear to everyone why these barricades are here and it’s even resulted in less business.
“It’s very confusing to people,” he said.
Other retailers say parking has been a problem for some customers.
“They couldn’t find any parking and got so frustrated with just driving around in circles that they simply just gave up and went home,” Emily Harvey, of Hats in the Belfry, said.
others say it hasn’t stopped them from visiting the area…
The Baltimore City Department of Transportation tells WJZ there are no plans right now to make any changes to the road closures in Fells Point.
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