PROVIDENCE — Mayor Brett Smiley is considering walking back one of the most controversial changes he made to PVDFest this year, telling the Globe he will consider allowing block parties by letting restaurants and bars extend their premises into the street.
During a taping of the Rhode Island Report podcast Friday morning, Smiley said while the new date and location are final, he’s willing to rethink some of his plans.
“The thing in which we are trying to work through, and we are trying to be flexible, and there may be some additional allowances is for block parties, or what we call extension of premises,” Smiley said. “Allowing restaurants and bars to extend onto the sidewalk and maybe even into the parking lane.”
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As the Globe reported earlier this week, the Smiley administration made significant changes to the festival, including moving the primary venue to a state-owned park near the pedestrian bridge on the Providence River.
The festival is also moving from June to September, which was in the works before Smiley took office.
But the change that garnered the most reaction was the decision to ban block parties, get rid of city-sponsored festival bars and no longer allow open containers of alcohol downtown. During the previous festivals, roads downtown were closed to traffic and patrons could wander the streets to explore the art, music and food while sipping an alcoholic beverage.
Smiley said he still wouldn’t allow open containers while walking in between establishments. But allowing bars and restaurants expand their premises into the street could effectively create a similar party-in-the-street atmosphere.
He said the city is working through staffing needs, since closing a street requires a police detail.
“I would like to be able to allow for street closures and extension of premises downtown, so that those businesses that have done well and seen an economic uptick in business because of PVDFest will be able to do so again this year,” Smiley said.
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On Wednesday the mayor had defended his decision to change the plans, arguing it would move the focus of the festival back to the arts and music. He also announced that gospel legend Mavis Staples would headline the event on Sept. 9.
“There are plenty of places for people to go get a drink,” Smiley said at a news conference next to the pedestrian bridge. He said he had personally made the decision related to reducing access to alcohol at PVDFest.
Now, the mayor says his administration is “trying hard” over the next several months to make the block parties possible during the festival.
“That decision is not going to be made because of public outcry around people wanting to have open containers,” Smiley said. “That decision is going to be made if we feel confident that we can do so safely.”
The full interview with the mayor will air on June 22. To get the latest episode each week, follow Rhode Island Report podcast on Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms.
Steph Machado can be reached at steph.machado@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @StephMachado.