3 of Chicago's busiest streets to close periodically this summer to help revitalize downtown

By Jim Dallke  –  Senior Editor, Chicago Business Journal

As Chicago and the rest of Illinois enters phase five of Covid reopening, the city is planning to temporarily close three of its business streets for dining, performances and other activities this summer.

The city announced Thursday that it will occasionally close parts of Michigan Avenue, LaSalle Street and State Street to cars in order to entice folks back downtown and help revitalize the central business district. 

The programs are being called “Meet Me on The Mile,” “Lunch on LaSalle,” and “Sundays on State." 

The Michigan Avenue series will include performances, family activities and "Instagrammable installations," along with dining and shopping. The LaSalle program will launch a pop-up space designed to encourage downtown workers and tourists to dine outside of Chicago's Board of Trade building. LaSalle will be closed on various Tuesdays for lunch during the summer, the city said. 

On State, the iconic Chicago street from Madison to Lake will transform into an open street on Sundays, starting on July 11. Activities include live music, a performance by the Joffrey Ballet, aerial performances, Irish dancers, a "micro-marathon" for kids and outdoor dining.

“We are excited to see visitors and employees beginning to return to the central city and Chicago’s Loop, after a challenging year for all of us," Chicago Loop Alliance President and CEO Michael Edwards said in a statement. 

The street closures are part of Mayor Lori Lightfoot's recovery plan to help boost the city's economy post-pandemic. Coronavirus lockdowns turned the Loop into a ghost town for much of last year and early 2021. But with the city now fully reopen, and more reasons to visit downtown, officials are hoping for an economic boost in the Loop.