SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA)- The city of Spartanburg is taking steps toward planning the future of Morgan Square.

What originally started as a road closure to help restaurants and businesses during COVID-19, has over time turned into a controversial topic.

For now, Morgan Square will remain as it is. It will be closed off to traffic for the next several months as the city discusses what’s next moving forward.

City leaders are asking for the public’s input. They want to know what your opinions are on the square and what you would like the potential design to look like.

“Initially council voted to continue the street closure while we explored options,” said Christopher George, Spartanburg communications manager.

George said the next step in exploring options for the space is hearing from the community.

“This is the real first opportunity that we will have for people to show up in person, sit down with designers, meet members of the Morgan Square Committee, and staff, and interact with us directly,” said George.

On Tuesday, a community meeting will be held from 4-8 p.m. at the CC Woodson Community Center on Bomar Avenue in Spartanburg. It will give the residents an opportunity to share insight into their views of the area and what they hope to see moving forward in the heart of downtown.

Spartanburg residents and business owners, like Tori LeRoy, believe the meeting is an opportunity to highlight the importance of the space.

“It’s important. It’s the middle of everything. It’s the heart of everything,” said Tori LeRoy, Co-Owner of Two Doors Down.

LeRoy is also a part of the Morgan Square Committee, a team that is helping with decisions on how to best represent the community’s interests.

“We’re still in the early stages of collecting opinions. It’s really important we really want it to be the decision of all of Spartanburg, all the business owners,” said LeRoy. “We are collecting as much data as possible right now.”

The city said all of the information they gathered from the meeting will help them construct a plan for Morgan Square. It’s one leader’s hope that will meet the wants and needs of those in Spartanburg.

“We’re going to use this information to craft a design and we will have outreach throughout the process. This is our first meeting, and it is by no means going to be our last one,” said George.

The city encourages residents to attend the community square workshop on Tuesday. They said the more people who participate, the better the plan will be in terms of what the community wants to see in the area.

This decision is not final. City Council is still expected to vote on whether Morgan Square will remain closed or reopen for drivers.