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Main Street executive director outlines Boardwalk Shops, indoor market host and downtown restroom timeline
Summary
Batavia Main Street’s executive director briefed council on Boardwalk Shops marketing, a vendor moving to brick-and-mortar, a new indoor market host (Sturdy Shelter), upcoming events including Batfest and Holiday Lantern Walk, and an expected permit and bid timeline for the downtown public restroom project.
The Batavia Main Street executive director updated the City Council on Oct. 20 about the Boardwalk Shops program, vendor transitions, event schedules and progress on a planned downtown restroom complex.
"The Batavia Boardwalk Shops are located at the corner of Wilson and River Street in Downtown Batavia," the executive director said in a preview video the organization plans to use to recruit vendors for the 2026 season. The application for the 2026 Boardwalk Shops season is open and organizers said they had already received nine applications.
Why it matters: Main Street activities help drive foot traffic to downtown businesses and support seasonal micro-retailing that can grow into permanent storefronts. The executive director’s report addressed vendor retention, facility signage to link pop-up vendors to their brick-and-mortar addresses, and local events that draw visitors.
Key takeaways from the Main Street report - Boardwalk Shops and brick-and-mortar links: Main Street created ‘‘boardwalk to brick-and-mortar’’ signs and directional wayfinding to help customers find retailers that previously appeared in the Boardwalk Shops and now have a downtown storefront. Main Street intends to add a historical listing of past boardwalk vendors on its website. - Vendor moves: A Rooted Home, a current boardwalk vendor, is moving into a permanent space at 237 W. Wilson St.; an opening date was not specified. - Indoor market host: Sturdy Shelter will host the indoor market; the venue will allow a roughly 22-vendor layout and added bar seating and upstairs seating to encourage longer visits. - Events: Batfest (final outdoor market of the season), a Lantern Walk that will be taken on as a Main Street event in 2026 and the Holiday Sneak Peek (Nov. 6) were highlighted. Winterfest Art Market will feature more than 35 artists in collaboration with Water Street Studios. - Downtown restroom project: The executive director said the project was expected to go to an internal permit review the week following the meeting, with plans to go out to bid once permits are approved and an anticipated opening in early spring. An order for benches made from recycled windmills was noted as coming to council for approval.
Council members asked practical questions about wayfinding, signage placement and whether Main Street keeps a historic list of past vendors online; the executive director said the list could be added. The council also discussed logistics for the indoor market and the restroom project’s permitting and procurement timeline.
The executive director closed by thanking volunteers and noting increased merchant collaboration for community events. Main Street staff and city public-works personnel plan to coordinate on restroom permitting and construction timing.
