Should a restaurant or bar or coffee shop be considered an arts-related business as a matter of course?

Joyce Dopkeen/The New York Times. ON DISPLAY Gabriel Boivin at Grouchy Gabe’s Grill, his deli and seat-of-the-pants art gallery. See "Curator? No, the Deli Man" from the New York Times.

Mike Licht of the NotionsCapital blog writes:

When did "restaurants, bars, diners, and coffees shops" become Arts institutions? I must have missed that. I will check this with the National Endowment for the Arts immediately.

If the Councilman favors the change described below, let him have the honesty to propose changing the zone's name to the "Restaurant, Bar, Diner, and Coffee Shop Overlay District."

In response to this press release from Councilman Evans' office:

Evans Supports Residents on ‘Arts Overlay’ Zoning Issue
Change in Law Needed to Promote Continued Economic Development

Washington, DC – Councilmember Evans announced today his support for an amendment to existing District zoning law to allow for continued economic development in what is known as the “Uptown Arts Overlay District.”

“We have heard from the neighborhood on this issue and it is clear that we must increase the percentage of allowable restaurants, bars, diners, and coffees shops in this area from 25% to 50% on a block-by-block basis,” said Evans. “ANC 2F, ANC 2B, Logan Circle Community Association, the Mid-City Business Association, and residents throughout the Ward strongly support this change and so do I.”

Under current zoning law, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) is not permitted to issue additional building permits or certificates of occupancy to potential business owners in the Arts District.

“We must ensure that this corridor remains lively and a destination for residents around the city,” Evans said. “In this economy, we must do all we can to support and promote local business and neighborhood development. We have already lost several small businesses in this area and we must act now.”

The “Uptown Arts Overlay District” includes the commercial corridors of 14th Street , U Street , and Florida Avenue .
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Mike's right of course. The reality is that it isn't an arts district.

For the most part, prevailing rents are too high to support arts uses. Unless a restaurant or coffee shop builds in an arts-theme or process (i.e., see this article from today's Baltimore Sun about adding technology as arts to Artscape, "BmoreSmart wants to add tech component to Artscape") changing the mix of businesses in an "arts district" ought to be more widely discussed.

The reality is calling something an arts district a la the Gateway District in PG County (see "The State of the Arts District? So-So." from the Post) isn't enough to create an arts district. You need more.

Note that while I have a paper on arts consumption vs. arts production ("Art, culture districts, and revitalization") the categories ought to be expanded to include "arts participation." "Arts participation" often is more about community building than it is about arts-based revitalization.