Louisville mulls a takeover of popular downtown patios

If you go:

What: 2012 Main Street patio program update

When: 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7

Where: Louisville City Hall, 749 Main St.

LOUISVILLE -- The question of what role city government should play in the vitality of downtown Louisville will take center stage next week when a discussion on the future of the popular summertime patios on Main Street comes before the public.

The city is considering taking over the patio program, which for the past four years has been run by the Louisville Downtown Business Association, and wants the public's input on the best way to proceed.

Options include providing permanent space for outdoor seating on the sidewalks between Spruce and Walnut streets or installing hardier modular patios on that block on a seasonal basis.

City staff members will give a public presentation on the options Nov. 7 and then present the City Council with a final recommendation on how to proceed.

Diana Trettin, Louisville's capital improvement projects manager, said the existing wooden patios have a "fairly short life span" and can be easily damaged on installment or take-down. They are also bulky and difficult to store, she said.

"It's not an inexpensive endeavor," Trettin said, noting that the business association asked the city for help managing the patios. "The council would like to see them out there."

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Louisville mulls a takeover of popular downtown patios