As Indianapolis slowly recovers from the coronavirus pandemic and a weekend of riotous violence, downtown is beginning to reopen a few sheets of plywood at time.
Bucca di Beppo pulled a small pile of wood off its windows and is once again operating as a full service restaurant.
“It's been a lot easier that you would anticipate,” assistant manager Kay Brothers said. “We were expecting it to be a pretty slow start but we actually had some really good sales.”
Around the corner on Monument Circle behind the Chocolate Cafe's plywood store front there were shelves and shelves filled with sweets. Business was really slow.
“I would love for like more people to be out and more customers come in," assistant manager Reanne Colson said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has eliminated tourism and moved workers from their offices to their homes.
According to a survey done by Indy Downtown Inc., 60 to 70 percent of downtown's 155,000 employees haven't returned to their workplaces, and may not be back for weeks or months.
A weekend of ugly violence set back the city's efforts to attract people back downtown where Brittney Spugnardi lives and works.
“It's safe,” Spugnardi said. “A couple of weeks ago, I can understand people feeling not so safe but it is back and opening.”
Shattered glass, uncounted sheets of plywood covering broken doors and window can’t disappear fast enough to satisfy the people promoting downtown and trying to get it back to normal.
Gary Gee is one of the artists turning ugly into urban chic.
Gee is painting colorful art and messages over 11 sheets of plywood. When it is no longer needed, the artwork will be put on display along the Cultural Trial.
“That was an excellent idea,” Gee said. “Especially for African American artists such as myself, because it gives us a chance to lend our voices artistically."
The plywood stacked up out front of Bucca's isn't art, it's in the way. Management says it's free for the taking.