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NILES — The grand opening of the Niles Outdoor Dining Experience last weekend was a hot topic at Monday’s Niles City Council meeting.

Several council members attended the festivities Saturday and praised Main Street DDA Director Lisa Croteau, the DDA board and volunteers for organizing a successful event.

“I also wish to thank all the people who worked very hard to provide us with a great Saturday,” said Ward 1 Councilmember Gretchen Bertsche. “I think this is the start of something beautiful.”

“It’s beautiful,” added Ward 2 Councilmember Sheila Koebel, who owns The Study and Underground Laugh Lounge on 4th Street. “It looks great and I think as a person who owns two businesses down there, let’s just say my sales increased a substantial amount Saturday night and people came up the hill. That was part of my struggle – are they even going to come up the hill to see me? I think Lisa told me it took 280 steps from the NODE to my door. They did come and the funny part was they might have come to get a drink but once they got in the door, they decided it was a little chilly outside so they sat down by the fireplace and stayed. 

“We had a full house pretty much all night… I think it’s going to bring people downtown and it’s just the start of many other things to come.”

Ward Four Councilmember Jessica Nelson voiced support for the NODE during Monday night’s meeting, believing it provides a valuable meeting space for community members. 

“When you get down there, it’s representative of Niles,” Nelson said. “There’s people who look like you, there’s people who don’t look like you and that’s what it takes to bring us together is proximity. And so, we have a space now outside where we can get together. We can let all the nonsense go and just enjoy each other’s company and the music that’s down there.”

Nelson believes the NODE has the potential to change the lives of people.

“It was a full circle moment for my family because [my son Henry’s] first time performing on a stage was an open mic night at the first version of the NODE,” Nelson said. “To have my son be able to perform and see the growth and see the joy and people getting up and dancing was particularly special. It changes lives; we sometimes think about how inconvenient it is that we have to drive around the block but I’ll put up with that inconvenience every single day when I know that people’s lives are being changed for the better and we’re building strength in our community.”

According to Nelson, the event showcased the impact the NODE can have on increasing traffic and sales for local businesses.

“We talked to some businesses after the event and folks were selling out of their to-go social Commons cups – over 400 cups sold that afternoon at Niles Brewing Company,” Nelson said. “They said that they were $200 shy of their Hunter Ice Festival weekend. Across The Street Collectibles stayed open a couple hours later and almost beat Hunter sales. The Hunter Ice Festival has been the staple of what we measure success against. “

Mayor Nick Shelton said the NODE has been the most contentious topic during his tenure as mayor. He noted that the project was started to help business downtown and that even though it has been controversial, Niles has become a trailblazer in the county and the region for having an outdoor dining area downtown.

“[The addition of the NODE] was a decision that took a ton of collaboration,” he said. “It can’t be understated how much collaboration that took – it took feedback from those who were in favor of something, and it took feedback from those who weren’t to create a space that was going to be special for our community. It was a decision that I wouldn’t say was difficult to make and approve but it was difficult to get to where we are today… I can confidently say that I think we’ve made the right decision. I don’t think it’s something we will look back on and be upset with. We can be proud of it – that space will continue to grow and I will continue to be a catalyst for the continued revitalization of downtown Niles.”

In closing, Shelton thanked the council, the DDA and the Niles community for making the project a reality. 

“This past weekend was just incredible,” he said. “I’m encouraged to know that some of those folks who didn’t necessarily agree with the idea in the beginning are spending their days down there and I can confidently say that those people feel that their input and their voices were heard because we created a space that took their feedback to heart. I’m so very proud of the collaboration in our community and I just can’t wait to see what’s next down there.”today… I can confidently say that I think we’ve made the right decision. I don’t think it’s something we will look back on and be upset with. We can be proud of it – that space will continue to grow and I will continue to be a catalyst for the continued revitalization of downtown Niles.”

In closing, Shelton thanked the council, the DDA and the Niles community for making the project a reality. 

“This past weekend was just incredible,” he said. “I’m encouraged to know that some of those folks who didn’t necessarily agree with the idea in the beginning are spending their days down there and I can confidently say that those people feel that their input and their voices were heard because we created a space that took their feedback to heart. I’m so very proud of the collaboration in our community and I just can’t wait to see what’s next down there.”