Outdoor Dining In Downtown Streets Offered Through Spring

ST. CHARLES, IL — A portion of 1st Street in downtown St. Charles will remain closed through spring to make way for additional outdoor public seating.

Picnic tables and chairs have been set out on the closed section of 1st Street as well as on the plaza space east of 1st Street. A similar plan was put in place last year to help restaurants and bars during statewide COVID-19 mitigations, according to a news release from the city of St. Charles.

The existing plaza west of 1st Street accommodates outdoor dining for restaurants along the plaza, according to a news release from the city of St. Charles. A portion of Walnut Avenue also is closed to accommodate outdoor dining for Flagship on the Fox restaurant.

Here is a look at which streets are closed to make room for outdoor dining:

• 1st Street: A section of 1st Street from Route 64/Main Street to the entrance of the five-story parking structure is closed
• Walnut Avenue: A section of Walnut Avenue along the length of Flagship on the Fox building is closed.

The street closures are expected to remain in place through April 15, 2022.

Last summer, the St. Charles City Council approved a temporary outdoor dining program for restaurants and bars in St. Charles as a way to help the businesses during the pandemic. Earlier this year, the city council approved an extension of that program through April 15, 2022.