The Ann Arbor Main Street Area Association says businesses will have to get creative during the winter months to accommodate customers outdoors due to COVID-19.
Sandra Andrade is the executive director of the association and has been talking with the City of Ann Arbor to determine if special permits are needed for businesses to continue using outdoor spaces during the winter. The current permit expires in September. Andrade says using inflatable igloos may be an option for some businesses.
Sandra Andrade: Basically, maybe retailers have their wares in there. And then, have one person or two people in them at a time. I’ve seen it in the context of restaurants, where they will have a table in there so a group, one family, will sit in an igloo where it’s warm and eat and drink their food.
Andrade says that businesses that usually don’t have outdoor space will also need to get heaters to accommodate customers during the winter.
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— Jorge Avellan is a reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him javellan@emich.edu