Arlington Alfresco Begins With Some Street Closures

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Several streets will be closed to traffic starting Wednesday as part of Arlington Alfresco, an open-air dining and shopping zone in downtown Arlington Heights. Village officials are hoping this will "enables restaurants, stores and businesses to expand their capacity into designated zones within the Arlington Alfresco footprint." Restaurants and bars with outdoor seating began opening last week as part of Phase 3 of Gov. J.B. Prtizker's Restore Illinois plan.

The intersection of Vail Avenue and Campbell Street will be closed to traffic under the plan.

The plan includes an 18-foot pedestrian walkway in the center of the streets, according to the Village. The dining areas will be fenced in and there will be many signs to help alleviate gathering concerns as it relates to the COVID-19 virus.

A recent Patch survey revealed Arlington Heights residents are anxious about dining out and split down the middle on whether they will frequent a restaurant or bar during June.

The Arlington Heights Village Board recently decided to cancel the 2020 Mane Event & Taste of Arlington Heights, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These popular August events celebrate Arlington International Racecourse. The Mane event is hosted by the Village’s Special Events Commission and the Taste of Arlington Heights is held by the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce.

"Keeping the community and event goers healthy and safe during the pandemic was the key priority in the Board's decision," the Village said in a statement. "Per the Restore Illinois plan, festivals are not permitted until Phase 5 of the plan. We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives in dramatic ways. The Village and the Chamber of Commerce join together in taking this step to help our community, state and nation recover from this pandemic. We look forward to celebrating that recovery when we host these wonderful downtown events again in 2021."

As part of Phase 3, the Village is stating groups of people should be limited to 6 or fewer for dining. In addition, though the blocked off area will be expanded, open alcohol is not allowed in public spaces, which includes Harmony Park and the pedestrian walkway. Also, no open alcohol can be taken outside of the Arlington Alfresco zone.

For those preferring to use curbside pickup for dining or shopping, there will be designated areas at the entrances of Arlington Alfresco, on the first floor of the Vail Garage and in a nearby parking lot. Delivery services for businesses and residents living within the zone will also have designated areas.

"Things are changing daily with this," Jon Ridler, executive director of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce, told Patch. "Some will not be allowed to have tables on the sidewalks this weekend but may do inside seating if at least 50 percent of their wall/windows open up. Others have their own outdoor seating areas off the sidewalks. Even with this, it is up to each restaurant to make that decision."

As businesses begin to reopen, the Arlington Alfresco zone will be open daily until 11 p.m. Police and Village staff will monitor the program and continue to make accommodations when necessary. Entrances to the Vail parking garage and to parking lots and garages of condominium or apartment buildings within the zone will remain accessible.

Restaurants outside the downtown area who want to use part of their private property for outdoor dining are encouraged to fill out the Outdoor Dining on Private Property application.

For more information on Arlington Alfresco, visit www.vah.com.

• These Arlington Heights Restaurants Reopen Friday
• Survey: Arlington Heights Residents Anxious About Dining Out