As one of the first and largest Puget Sound downtown areas to reopen to retail shopping, Olympia’s experience may be looked upon as a case study of how to reawaken smaller central business districts, according to a report by National Public Radio.
Reporter Will James interviewed merchants and city economic development officials to learn what adjustments downtown Olympia merchants have made or are considering to protect against coronavirus infection.
He found restaurants planning to open outdoor seating to keep customers sufficiently distant from each other. There’s talk of closing some streets on weekends to give pedestrians more space. He also reported on Thurston County health officials’ advice that shoppers wear facial coverings to prevent against possible infections.
