Summary
62 downtown businesses signed a petition asking the council to reopen Main Street, saying the closure is killing business. The council declined to revisit it before November, scheduling a full discussion for the first November meeting.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 6
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Jun 23, 2026.
Impact analysis
Downtown sales tax fell 7.5% in the fourth quarter, per Councilmember Duran; the vision plan remains unfunded.
Businesses supporting the closure, like the Ventura Theater and Findings Market, see a long-term pedestrian vision; reopening advocates want relief now.
Retailers and restaurants reporting declining revenue and closures attribute their losses to the street closure.
Mentions & discussions (7)
City Council Meeting - Jun 23, 2026
Downtown businesses are split on the six-year-old Main Street closure. The council extended the parklet deadline, added a cheaper parklet option, and created a subcommittee to gather input from all sides before a November 10 check-in — plus promised a longer license term so owners can justify investing tens of thousands of dollars.
City Council Meeting - May 19, 2026
Business owners and workers clashed over whether to reopen Main Street to cars, with a decision scheduled for November. Several speakers urged moving that date up so businesses know what to plan for this summer.
City Council Meeting - May 12, 2026
The fight over Main Street Moves dominated the meeting: business owners say the ~$50 million vision plan can't be executed without killing downtown businesses, a lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, and a petition claims 82+ businesses support reopening. The council refused 3-4 to schedule a special meeting, with the topic already set for November.
City Council Meeting - Apr 28, 2026
72 downtown businesses are asking the council to reopen Main Street to cars, citing declining sales and a petition, while other business owners and residents urge the council to stick with the car-free decision from September 2025. A motion to hold a June special meeting failed 2-4, and McReynolds tied any earlier discussion to dropping a lawsuit.
City Council Meeting - Apr 14, 2026
62 downtown businesses signed a petition asking the council to reopen Main Street, saying the closure is killing business. The council declined to revisit it before November, scheduling a full discussion for the first November meeting.
City Council Meeting - Mar 25, 2026
The council adopted the long-term vision for the pedestrianized downtown — activity nodes, mosaics, a stage at California Street — plus a parklet replacement deadline and near-term ADA and furniture spending from ~$600,000 in rollover funds. Farmers market and merchants raised compatibility concerns.
Ventura's downtown will stay car-free. Here's everything you need to know
Ventura's downtown will stay car-free. Here's everything you need to know Ventura County Star
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