By DON FLETCHER
Information Employees Author
Predominant Road Atmore Director Shinora Redmond and Mayor Jim Employees had been each optimistic of their optimism — though cautiously so — in the course of the Saturday, June 1, ribbon slicing and grand opening of the town’s new Arts & Leisure District.
The brand new district contains parts of North Predominant, Ridgeley, Carney and Church streets, in addition to just a few smaller areas. In accordance with metropolis data, there are 4 institutions throughout the district that maintain licenses to promote alcoholic drinks by the drink: The Publican, The Espresso Home, Collect and Grizzly Pizza & Wings.
The brand new ordinance permits patrons of these institutions to take their drinks outdoors the place the place they had been purchased. It additionally permits them to devour the drinks in a particular 16-ounce “to-go cup” as they stroll round contained in the district’s boundaries, however solely from 4 p.m. till midnight.
Redmond, whose group is devoted to re-energizing older and historic downtowns and neighborhood industrial districts nationwide, led the push to determine such a district and was accountable for the district’s grand opening actions.
She expressed hope and confidence the brand new district would serve the aim for which it’s designed.
“Over the following few months, we hope to see an financial affect from this district,” she mentioned as her intern, Laurey Hood, hung a banner on the stage of the Boxcar Willie park. “We really feel like it should entice guests and companies. We studied the ordinances in a number of cities, so we didn’t must reinvent the wheel.”
She talked briefly about considerations that the free restrictions on alcoholic drinks might need a unfavourable impact, mentioning that the common patron of the district’s companies wouldn’t be susceptible to public intoxication.
“It is a collaboration between the district’s companies,” she mentioned. “It’s not about folks getting drunk, it’s about folks being sociable.”
Employees mentioned the town would take a “zero tolerance” stance relating to violations of the brand new ordinance.
“The best way it’s arrange, she did a unbelievable job,” the mayor mentioned of Redmond. “It’s going to be a very good factor if everyone follows the foundations and laws. We’re going to do our greatest to maintain (violations) down. The police will probably be watching.”
Estimates are that “about 200” folks took benefit of the brand new ordinance to sip their favourite potables whereas strolling round on metropolis sidewalks.
Indicators had been positioned at numerous areas all through the district to let folks know the place the boundaries are, and maps of the district had been obtainable on the 4 beforehand talked about consuming institutions.
The grand opening apparently went nicely, as Atmore PD Sgt. Darrell McMann reported that metropolis police made no arrests within the district between 4 p.m. and midnight, the interval throughout which alcoholic drinks could possibly be legally taken outdoors the place they had been bought.