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Ohio Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas (DORA / Open Container)

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I suppose the rules about not taking drinks back into a bar is to prevent DORA Explorers from filling drinks outside from a flask or the trunk of their car.

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  • It's funny, because the main argument people have against open containers is that they'll create a "party" atmosphere. But the reality is, if you say "only these small areas can be open container" it

  • And that will have to start in City Council's sub-committee for ballards... and then will need to be reviewed by building dept... then will head back to sub-committee for comment.... then, once passed

  • Looks like Hyde Park and College Hill will be the newest DORA areas in the city of Cincinnati.   

Posted Images

DORA Explorers

 

This is great.

  • 4 months later...

Fun fact: the way the state law is written, the creation an Outdoor Refreshment Area can only be initiated by the "executive officer" of a city or village (or the "fiscal officer" of a township since townships don't have executives). I'm not sure whether that actually means the Mayor or City Manager in Cincinnati's case. But anyway, City Council couldn't just pass legislation designating The Banks as an ORA, for example. The executive officer would have to propose an ORA and bring it to City Council for approval.

Good thing they passed it in time for the All-Star Game.

On 1/5/2016 at 4:10 PM, thomasbw said:

 

the only person who can begin the process is "The executive officer of a municipal corporation"

^^Correct

Edited by thomasbw

  • 4 weeks later...

City looks to establish entertainment district, outdoor drinking area

 

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An entertainment district and outdoor drinking area are among the proposals the Springfield City Commission is weighing to bolster downtown growth.

 

A public hearing followed by a vote among commissioners will be held regarding the establishment of a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) and a Community Entertainment District in downtown Springfield.

...

At least six other Ohio cities have created DORA districts in recent years, including Hamilton, Canton, Delaware and parts of downtown Toledo. The city of Springboro is also hoping to apply for a DORA that would be implemented in its downtown area, pending approval by the state.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2019/01/29/city-looks-to-establish-entertainment-district.html

"You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers

  • ColDayMan changed the title to Ohio Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas (DORA / Open Container)
On 8/14/2018 at 1:01 PM, ucgrady said:

 

This is great.

 

yeah dora the explora  — i love it. and they did a great job. i don’t think it could be made any more clear.

 

so is there any kind of state map for these open container party spots yet? it would be nice to have a what and where guide, or at least eventually have one at some point.

  • 3 months later...
17 hours ago, taestell said:

Covington, KY may create an open container district. I think that's the only thing that will pressure Cincinnati into creating one. After Covington's passes, the Cincy-vs-NKY instincts will kick in and Cincinnati will have one within 6 months.

Covington is passing something that the banks already does.  It's not a permanent open container zone, you have to apply for it and only get it for a certain amount of time.  The banks already does this when they do their block parties for opening day, every bengals home game, world cup watch party, ect.  I do think they should just make it a permanent open container zone but apparently they don't want to do that. 

  • 11 months later...

Hey! Five years later, it looks like Cincinnati might get around to implementing a DORA.

 

 

  • 6 months later...

Finally! Not sure why this took over 5 years...

 

11 minutes ago, ColDayMan said:

Boozy Banks: City to create open container area to boost businesses

 

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The city plans to close a portion of East Freedom Way just west of Great American Ballpark to vehicle traffic and make the Banks a place where people can openly drink on the streets by the Reds Opening Day on April 1.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/12/15/banks-entertainment-district.html

 

It says the open container district stops at Mehring Way... does that mean we won't be able to take a beer down to Smale and enjoy it while overlooking the River? I wish it would extend all the way to the River. 

1 hour ago, jwulsin said:

It says the open container district stops at Mehring Way... does that mean we won't be able to take a beer down to Smale and enjoy it while overlooking the River? I wish it would extend all the way to the River. 

 

They're probably afraid of the liability of someone getting drunk, falling into the driver and drowning. The same excuse has been given for why the Flats East Bank in Cleveland hasn't had it, even though its a natural location for it.

17 hours ago, taestell said:

Finally! Not sure why this took over 5 years...

 

 

In Cincinnati, the Mayor and only the Mayor is capable of proposing a DORA. Council can't do it on their own, neighborhood groups can't do it on their own, so that's your answer. 

17 hours ago, jwulsin said:

It says the open container district stops at Mehring Way... does that mean we won't be able to take a beer down to Smale and enjoy it while overlooking the River? I wish it would extend all the way to the River. 

 

Is this the only one in the state thus far?

1 minute ago, YABO713 said:

 

Is this the only one in the state thus far?

No, Toledo and Hamilton have both had their DORA zones up and running for a couple years now. I believe there are a couple of other cities with them as well, just escaping me off the top of my head.

16 hours ago, PoshSteve said:

 

They're probably afraid of the liability of someone getting drunk, falling into the driver and drowning. The same excuse has been given for why the Flats East Bank in Cleveland hasn't had it, even though its a natural location for it.


I don’t think thats what’s going on in Cincinnati tho, I believe it has more to do with the fact that the park is world class and they don’t want it to get trashed and also the park is constantly filled with children and families so it would be foolish to mix it with the Dora district.

Middletown, Delaware and a few others jumped on the DORA train almost immediately but other cities were slow to adopt it. Lots of smaller towns have them now such as Loveland, Defiance, Hudson and Hamilton.

So Cincinnati would be the first of the 3 C’s? So strange the 3 big cities wouldn’t have sprinted to set these up. I could see it working well in Columbus in the arena district maybe and in Cleveland during the NFL Draft (if an area was already established. 

Edited by 646empire

The 3Cs think they don't need it, IMO.

2 minutes ago, GCrites80s said:

The 3Cs think they don't need it, IMO.


Which is silly and very Ohio unfortunately. These kinds of perks are what makes cities such as New Orleans and Las Vegas so much fun. My friend who owns a bar in Downtown Cincinnati was on Facebook yesterday celebrating this news.

23 minutes ago, OliverHazardPerry said:

No, Toledo and Hamilton have both had their DORA zones up and running for a couple years now. I believe there are a couple of other cities with them as well, just escaping me off the top of my head.

 

The funny thing is, E. 4th in Cleveland is as good of an area as any I know in the state for a DORA... and nothing. 

 

Oi. 

14 minutes ago, GCrites80s said:

The 3Cs think they don't need it, IMO.

 

I think it has more to do with the limits. If the big cities are only allowed a couple of them it makes it hard to choose. A place like Hamilton only really has one place that makes sense, but Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland have a bunch of neighborhoods that want it so it makes it harder to choose. Somebody is going to be mad.

Just now, YABO713 said:

 

The funny thing is, E. 4th in Cleveland is as good of an area as any I know in the state for a DORA... and nothing. 

 

Oi. 


Right and as mentioned it would have been a great tool during an event like the NFL Draft next spring especially as we come out of the coronavirus. 

Hmm, yeah if the Short North gets one, then it's "They already get everything good. Way to double down" but if the Brewery District gets one then it's "There's almost no bars left here. Now everyone will have to open up here and bars in other parts of town suffer." If it's on Gay St. then it's "Why doesn't the Short North have this?"

35 minutes ago, YABO713 said:

 

Is this the only one in the state thus far?

 

The Van Aken District has it. It's the only one around Cleveland I'm aware of.

6 minutes ago, DEPACincy said:

 

I think it has more to do with the limits. If the big cities are only allowed a couple of them it makes it hard to choose. A place like Hamilton only really has one place that makes sense, but Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland have a bunch of neighborhoods that want it so it makes it harder to choose. Somebody is going to be mad.


But in my opinion the absolute worst thing a city can decide to do is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING lol and now they’ve wasted 5 years. Leadership needs to make tough decisions and realize someone is always going to be mad about something.

1 minute ago, 646empire said:


But in my opinion the absolute worst thing a city can decide to do is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING lol and now they’ve wasted 5 years. Leadership needs to make tough decisions and realize someone is always going to be mad about something.

 

Oh for sure. Not saying it's smart, just the rationale I think they are using haha. But it looks like COVID helped make the decision easier.

i can see why east bank flats doesnt go for it due to the waterfront liability worries, but i cant see why e4st doesnt have it?

 

i would think most places would only want it for events.

 

college town student areas are the wildcard, but they dont seem to be going for it ... understandably lol.

 

overall there really doesnt seem to be enough interest to even bother with a map guide of dora sites to explore. i’m kind of surprised by that.

On 12/16/2020 at 10:54 AM, GCrites80s said:

Middletown, Delaware and a few others jumped on the DORA train almost immediately but other cities were slow to adopt it. Lots of smaller towns have them now such as Loveland, Defiance, Hudson and Hamilton.

I think Canton does as well, and of course Dayton finally turned Fifth Street and half of downtown around the Levitt Pavilion this past summer and it was a huge success. They started closing down Fifth on the weekends which gave people a lot more space to social distance, and I think it really helped businesses in the Oregon District weather some of the pandemic a bit better. 

“To an Ohio resident - wherever he lives - some other part of his state seems unreal.”

I went to Tiffin a few weeks back, and they had one covering most of their Downtown.  It was the first time I'd seen one.

I was in Kent this past weekend and they also have new large signs in various places with the DORA zones in a map and explanations. I should’ve taken a picture. Its been in effect since i think May-june timeframe. They’ve had issues with the covid declarations whether Dora is in effect or not depending on county covid status. 

  • 2 months later...

I was just in downtown Lorain last Saturday and it looked nice!

"You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers

I'm pretty bullish on the changes that are happening there.  I didn't realize that they had a DORA, though.  I didn't see any signs designating the boundaries when I was there last.

^ You'd have to look very carefully - there are no signs to tell you you're entering the DORA, only signs the size of a No Parking sign as you leave.

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  • 1 month later...

Went to a Reds game a couple of weeks ago to watch the Reds crush the Indians and the DORA at the Banks was absolutely packed. Bars/restaurants are slammed too. They need to extend it.

Edited by Cincinnatus

  • Author

People were leaving the Reds game with their beers this Saturday, and security was standing at the gates with the DORA cups so people could pour their beer from the standard Reds cup to an "official" DORA cup. We should just allow people to drink in public without a special cup, but it's better than nothing.

I'm surprised any American liquor law would allow transfer of alcohol between containers on a public street. Oh my heavens!

  • Author
5 minutes ago, GCrites80s said:

I'm surprised any American liquor law would allow transfer of alcohol between containers on a public street. Oh my heavens!

 

fear not, they transferred the alcohol between containers before they reached the public street. All is not lost.

I think the Toledo area has four now; Adams Street, Warehouse District near downtown; downtown Sylvania, and I think Perrysburg has one or is considering one. Not sure if others are planned around the area. 

11 minutes ago, westerninterloper said:

I think the Toledo area has four now; Adams Street, Warehouse District near downtown; downtown Sylvania, and I think Perrysburg has one or is considering one. Not sure if others are planned around the area. 

 

And yet Cleveland has..... 

3 minutes ago, YABO713 said:

 

And yet Cleveland has..... 

So annoying we don't have any yet. East 4th, West 25th, West 6th, and Lee Rd would all be good ones to start.

29 minutes ago, WindyBuckeye said:

So annoying we don't have any yet. East 4th, West 25th, West 6th, and Lee Rd would all be good ones to start.

 So many - Hingetown and Market St. too. Can't wait for new leadership

57 minutes ago, YABO713 said:

 

And yet Cleveland has..... 

 

The cynic in me says the right person hasn't shown up with the right suitcase full of the right amount of cash. 

1 hour ago, YABO713 said:

 

And yet Cleveland has..... 

Technically Shaker, but Van Aken is DORA. Also, not officially one I don't think, since it's just public property, but Edgewater beach essentially acts as one. Still so many other places where it should be though.

6 hours ago, Cincinnatus said:

Went to a Reds game a couple of weeks ago to watch the Reds crush the Indians and the DORA at the Banks was absolutely packed. Bars/restaurants are slammed too. They need to extend it.

Hey now!  Our teams records are similar!  😜

On 5/5/2021 at 5:18 PM, westerninterloper said:

I think the Toledo area has four now; Adams Street, Warehouse District near downtown; downtown Sylvania, and I think Perrysburg has one or is considering one. Not sure if others are planned around the area. 

Maumee has also approved a DORA. The downtown Toledo DORA expanded to include North Summit and across the Maumee to the Marina Loft area. 

 

In NW Ohio, Fremont, Findlay, Defiance and Port Clinton also have downtown DORAs. 

 

 

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