Pandemic Leads To Innovative Outdoor Dining Solution In Greenport

GREENPORT, NY — During the coronavirus pandemic, the words "it takes a village" have even greater meaning in Greenport: A public/private partnership and an innovative vision for change have fueled the creation of an outdoor dining solution that's transformed the village into something straight out of a summertime scene in a European city.

On any given night, the streets of downtown Greenport echo with the sounds of people laughing, dining and enjoying local fare, all while adhering to social distancing protocols.

The "parklets" in Greenport are outdoor spaces created by sections of timber designed to create seating and allow outdoor dining to expand out onto the street; in order to create the parklets, the Village of Greenport leveraged 51 parking spaces to create 9,000 square feet of space.

Also, a portion of Front Street traffic was directed one way for the duration of the program, which runs seven days a week through October.

The transformation has served as a model for other municipalities including New York City, officials said at a "gratitude" event held at Mitchell Park Friday afternoon to thank all those involved with shepherding the dream to reality — at a time when so much was uncertain.

According to Rich Vandenburgh, president of the Greenport Village Improvement District, Friday's event was meant to celebrate all that's been done with the street parklet project and to recognize the many who came together from all corners of the village to help execute the plan.

The vision, Vandenburgh said, was "not born of the BID but rather, hatched," by former Greenport Mayor David Kapell, the man credited by many for the village's transformation into a family destination: Under Kapell's leadership, the carousel was brought to the village, Mitchell Park was designed by SHoP Architects, and the ice rink was unveiled, as well as many other projects.

"He called in early April to share this thoughtful positivity underscored by absolute, spot-on expediency," Vandenburgh said. "He made his case as to why we needed to get this done. It wasn't a hard sell for me; I agreed. Dave's wealth of local knowledge, his many contacts, and his insightful perspective were a perfect mix for us to seed and grow this idea. All of us should feel very fortunate to have him as a stalwart."

Vandenburgh also thanked many others including SHoP Architects, who worked pro bono; Eric Gertler, president and CEO of Empire State Development and the chairman of the Long Island control room; Riverhead Building Supply for the timbers; Paul Pawlowski and his team for helping to assemble the parklets; those who donated nursery supplies; Dinni Gordon and Caitlin Kapell; Greenport Village Mayor George Hubbard and the entire village board; the Rausch Foundation; BNB for a $15,000 donation; Kevin Law, president and CEO of the Long Island Foundation; county and state officials, the entire BID board, and many more.

"The willingness of our local leaders and a good measure of faith allowed us to execute an idea that most other municipalities have only talked about," Vandenburgh said. "But one must never take our eyes off the ball. The ball is understanding that our merchants are the lifeblood of our village. The health and vitality of Main Street reflects the confidence and trust merchants have in local, county and state leaders. Every level of local government should feel an obligation to support those small businesses and Main Street merchants who are the bedrock of any community."

Greenport, he said, is a "community of doers."

Mayor Hubbard said all came together to work toward a common goal, "to salvage businesses. To put it all together and make it work. As you can see, it's worked out quite well. It was just a true community effort to make this all happen," Hubbard said.

The goal, Hubbard and Vandenburgh said, was "to defend our business district agains the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project has proven to be a lifeline for our merchants, and we would like to publicly recognize your crucial contribution," both said in a release.

Gertler said on behalf of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, it was a pleasure to see the project move from concept to reality.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said Greenport has long been a village marked by "extraordinary leadership. This village is and has been a model and once again, has served that role. This project, that you've done in the height of this global pandemic, has proved a model and a pathway for not just Suffolk County, but the state."

Bill and Corie Sharples of SHoP Architects said the template for the parklets is now being embraced in New York City

Noah Schwartz, owner of Noah's said the parklets were a game changer. "We were all questioning if we were going to have a season. The additional seating has been certainly beneficial, if not imperative, to the success of our business going forward."

"This has been incredible for the village," agreed Linda Kessler, business owner and BID board member.

And, said Kapell: "It's such a thrill to see it happen. But what's so important to me is the collaboration that took place across all these sectors, public, private, state, county local — and under the worst imaginable circumstances. Can you imagine, trying to get something like this done in a pandemic? It's wonderful to see it all working."

Added Hubbard and Vandenburgh: "The response from the business community and the public at-large has been overwhelmingly positive. The parklets have instantly proven to be a crucial lifeline for Greenport merchants and have established a safe and peaceful order to the village by slowing vehicular traffic and by encouraging social distancing with good design."