GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Big changes are in the works for Grand Rapids' social zones, the popular outdoor seating arrangement during the pandemic.
Grand Rapids is now looking at charging businesses that use them. This is the first time the city is talking about the idea publicly.
The possible charge comes after looking over costs to maintain these social zones.
A blanket of snow covers the social zone outside the Pyramid Scheme in downtown Grand Rapids.
"We haven't seen a whole lot of use in the cold months," Co-Owner Tami VandenBerg told FOX 17.
She says she can fill those seats with people during the warm Michigan summer months.
"I'm one of those folks that when I'm in Michigan, I want to be outside as much as possible during the warm months. And I don't think I'm the only one. And so it's been incredibly helpful," VandenBerg said.
Now, more than a year into these new social zones, the city is looking to make a change.
They're planning to charge businesses who use them, but the cost is still in the works.
"The city's always had an existing parklet program. That parklet program was pretty rarely used just because of the cost incurred to construct the parklet. I think that at the highest level, there were only four businesses using those," Assistant Director of Mobile Grand Rapids Justin Kimura told FOX 17.
Kimura says the city has spent money renting out concrete barriers and lost out on income from parking.
"At its peak, we had 26 Social zones, 10 of which are outside the downtown area, and it's been a seasonal change. So right now, during the winter, we currently have eight of them deployed," Kimura added.
The social zones are a way of giving businesses extra footage to the existing brick and motor buildings. The space outside Pyramid Scheme and along Commerce Avenue takes up eight parking spots.
"We definitely use this stretch a lot. So, this is what I would really fight to try and keep," VandenBerg said.
VandenBerg understands and sees the investment the city made to make this possible. She says now is not the right time to charge them.
"I feel like we pay substantially into amenities downtown already. So I would really encourage the city to look at the funds that us business owners that have been hit so incredibly hard over the last couple years... what have we already paid in," VandenBerg said.
The fees are also a way to introduce these social zones as a more permanent fixture of the city.
Initial conversations on possible fees include buying spaces out in bulks.
