During his “too long” tenure as chair of the Somerset Village Business Improvement Area (BIA), Union Local 613 restaurant owner Ivan Gedz led multiple summer weekend street closures since the pandemic.
But in 2025 — after Gedz led an unpopular two-week street closure the year before — the Somerset Village BIA voted against any road closure at all.
“There was a lot of consternation with regards to the manner I went about it,” he said, adding that he didn’t get other business’ approval for the longer closure. “Fair enough.”
When Gedz stepped down as chair last May, he wrote a note and posted to his business’ Instagram.
“City planning for the foreseeable future will continue to limit car access, reduce parking, and prioritize public transit, cycling, and pedestrian infrastructure,” he wrote. “Rather than resist this shift, Somerset Village can thrive by leaning into it.”
“It gives more vibrancy,” he said. “If you’ve been to Barcelona or countless other places in the world … things that enhance city streets, that enable people to engage one another on a more regular basis in-person, certainly is always a great thing.”
Now, just down the road from Somerset Village, the city’s Street Seats pilot program is a step towards leaning into that.
In partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and a team lead responsible for pedestrianizing New York City’s Times Square, Street Seats transforms sections of Centretown’s MacLaren, Florence and Frank Streets into pedestrian-oriented public spaces from early July to mid-October.
“It’s designed to have more places to sit, places for communities to do programming, places for public art, for performance (and) for restaurant vendors,” said Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster. “That’s something we’re hearing that people want more and more of.”
By closing streets to traffic and converting some parking spaces, local businesses may have pop-up stores, community groups may lead art activities and workshops, and there’s going to be “a ton of greenery and planting,” Troster added.
“We’re really excited about it.”
To the neighbouring Gedz, one block away from MacLaren Street, this is an “awesome” initiative. Experts and other businesses in the area who spoke with the Citizen mostly agree.
How to make Centretown a destination
The program is a part of the Centretown Street Safety and Revitalization Action Plan, focused on enhancing Centretown’s streets as safe and vibrant for residents and visitors, according to the city’s website.
“We want people to come downtown because they want to come here,” Troster said.
One of the “interesting” aspects to the pilot program is how it feeds into a main street like Bank Street, according to Urban Strategies partner Eric Turcotte, who has worked on a number of redevelopment and revitalization plans in Ottawa.
“Bank Street is a great street, but with not a lot of room on the sidewalk,” he said. “In many places we see, often the activity kind of happens on these side streets.
“It kind of gives an interesting opportunity to have extra animation, setting up temporary installations, to expand the activity to feed into Bank Street.”
Especially for the summer season when people want to be outside, Turcotte said the program is “creating a destination” with added patios, activities, shows and buskers, without stopping traffic flow.
“They’re very strategic in terms of where these (street) closures happen,” he said. “And it’s a pilot project, so if it doesn’t work, next year you can decide to try different streets.”
How some businesses are taking advantage of the project
On the last few days of June, Street Seats program transformations were still taking place along Frank and Florence. Workers with ladders and tools were measuring and building vibrant pink and yellow patio setups.
Jon Svazas is the owner and chef at Fauna, a restaurant on the corner of Bank and Frank Street.
“I was happy to hear that they’re taking the revitalization of Centretown a bit more seriously these days,” he said about the program. “Without a lively main street, what kind of city do you really have?
“It’s nice to see the tone sort of shift and realize that small businesses are important.”
Frank Street’s bright yellow patio with light brown hardwood flooring is just outside of Fauna’s front door. Yellow flower planters filled with light green grass match the design.
Street Seats will see Fauna’s patio extending onto Frank Street to be “more pedestrian friendly,” Svazas said, adding that the city and partners covering the costs makes a difference.
“People don’t understand how much buying nice-looking plants and putting them outside costs. They get stolen and vandalized at alarming rates,” Svazas said, having extended his patio at his own expense in previous years. “It’s nice to see them realize that we need a little help to sort of bring life back to Centretown.”
Across the street is Honey Hi Boutique, a store selling clothing on consignment and designs from local artists.
Steps away from the store, part of Florence Street is flanked with bright pink benches and flower planters filled with soil. Light bulbs are draped across the road, with a white stage facing Bank Street.
“If it all works out well and it doesn’t cause issues, I’m all for it,” said Suzanne Quintal, the boutique’s owner. “It looks cute.
“I think this is a great corner to do it on because we’ve already got restaurants here, there’s my shop (and) a tattoo shop. We’re already a lively little spot, so I think that it can only enhance us.”
For the past year, Quintal said she’s been suggesting ways to enhance the neighbourhood to her Centretown BIA, like adding a farmer’s market.
“I don’t see why we have to go to Lansdowne to do fun things,” she added.
In anticipation of more evening customers — thanks to Florence Street’s stage for local performers just steps away — Quintal said she plans to adjust her store hours.
“Instead of closing at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. during the week, I’m going to open up a little later,” she said. “Probably opening officially from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and if there’s still stuff happening, I’ll stay until 9 p.m. to take advantage of golden hour.
“It’s nice to see good things happening on this street.”
Down the block from Honey Hi Boutique and adjacent to the bright pink set up is Pizzeria da Romolo, co-owned by Gianni Balestra.
In general, Balestra said he thinks Street Seats is “a great idea” that will drive in more customers.
“I believe in, ‘monkey see, monkey do,’ and if somebody orders a pizza, the next guy will order a pizza,” he said. “The more the merrier.”
An issue Balestra said he anticipates is whenever he has to unload his weekly deliveries now that there are fewer available parking spaces.
“My staff will have to physically carry everything to the pizzeria,” he said, adding that his staff will have to walk an extra 150 feet. “It’s just not fun, that’s all.”
Another concern of Balestra’s is that people may use the new benches to sleep on overnight.
“I’ve seen that happen before on the park bench that used to be located on Florence Street,” he said. “People don’t have a place to sleep or lie down anywhere, so I’m concerned people will use the setup.
“I don’t want to be negative about it, I’m going to stay positive. If we remove the issue of parking and all this, it’s going to be great.”
What happens next
Street Seats is just the beginning for Sabrina Lemay, executive director of the Centretown BIA.
“I think the neighbourhood needs a lot of things, and I think this is the start of what we hope to see as a revitalized downtown,” she said. “It is a pilot project, so time will tell if this is exactly what it needs.”
The fact that Street Seats is a pilot project means that “we learn as we do,” according to Troster.
“We can use our experiences this summer to figure out what works and what we can expand on,” she said. “It’s not a permanent installation. We can move things around next summer.
“People want a chance to play,” she added. “I’m very much looking forward to this change and to see how people embrace it.”
Just one corner away from MacLaren Street’s white and orange flower pot set up, Gedz doesn’t exactly make his hopes for pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods a secret. Street Seats is something he would “absolutely” like to see succeed and eventually explored on his Somerset Street.
“Without hesitation,” he said. “I’m very much for taking our little block and making it a pedestrian-only zone.”
