A portion of Rice Howard Way will now be dedicated to entertaining Edmontonians.
The Downtown Business Association has partnered with the CIty of Edmonton to create a street patio that spans the length of a city block, to form the city’s first ever entertainment district.
The partnership is designed to attract more people and encourage them to spend more time in Edmonton’s downtown core.
“Every downtown and major north american urban centre has been impacted by the pandemic, work from home, or other changes that have happened in society,” according to Edmonton mayor Amarjeet Sohi.
The new district is aimed at improving foot traffic and boosting businesses downtown.
Rice Howard Way will now be closed to vehicle traffic from Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. and run until Sunday mornings at 10 a.m., when the road will open again to traffic enabling people to walk freely along the block and enjoy the sounds, food and beverages in the area.
Live music, games and outdoor movie nights are also scheduled in the area and will feature local programming and entertainment every week.
The cost of the initiative was covered out of the downtown vibrancy fund according to the city.
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