Charleston closing streets for outdoor dining

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Charleston officials are closing two downtown streets this week to open up space for outdoor dining at restaurants, the mayor said Tuesday.

Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin said Capitol and Hale streets will be closed between Kanawha Boulevard and Lee Street from Friday at 3 p.m. to Sunday at 9 p.m. Restaurants will use their own tables, chairs and tents to serve customers outdoors.

“We have been working with restaurants for months to create an outdoor dining plan that is safe and gives our small businesses additional seating capacity,” she said, add that the closures are part of a pilot program that may be expanded to other parts of the city.