The City of Utica has issued the following updates and new initiatives to share with the public:
The State of New York is allowing outdoor dining for regions who have already entered Phase Two effective tomorrow, Thursday June 4th.
In an effort to help restaurants increase outdoor seating capacity, the City is offering the option of utilizing public sidewalks as outdoor café areas.
There will be no fee for utilizing sidewalks, but an application must be filed with the City. As part of the application, restaurants must have a copy of their certificate of insurance and name the city as additional insured.
The application can be found on http://www.cityofutica.com. For any questions regarding the application please contact Principal Planner Chris Lawrence at 315-792-0181 or via e-mail, clawrence@cityofutica.com.
Local businesses, including restaurants, can still apply for the City’s Economic Stimulus Loan Program. Currently, 29 local businesses have obtained a loan through this program. If a business meets certain criteria, the loan offered by the City can convert to a grant. More information about the loan program can be found at http://www.cityofutica.com.
For any inquiries regarding the loan program please contact Economic Development Specialist Jack Spaeth at (315) 792-0181 or via e-mail, jspaeth@cityofutica.com.
In addition, the City is in the process of implementing free municipal WiFi at certain access points in downtown for visitors and patrons to utilize. The system is being tested next week with an anticipated launch scheduled to occur later this summer.
