Youngstown Council Will Consider Downtown DORA

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Members of City Council will consider a resolution Wednesday to apply for creation of a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area downtown.

The proposal to establish a DORA, which council’s community planning and economic development committee discussed two weeks ago, was among three later items added to a special meeting of council Wednesday.

“We believe that it’s going to bring some economic growth to the downtown area,” said Stephanie Gilchrist, Youngstown economic development director. The proposed DORA would encompass a 34-acre area centered on downtown’s entertainment and restaurant district.

Under the proposal, patrons would be able to purchase alcoholic beverages in specially designated cups that would permit them to take the beverages outside the venue where they purchased them for outside consumption in designated areas during set hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Patrons also would be required to wear special wrist bands that would be distributed by the venues.

A DORA has been under discussion since 2019, but the proposal was derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Gilchrist said. Youngstown officials have spoken with officials in the city of Columbiana, which enacted its own DORA a few years ago. A visit to Kent, which also has one in place, also is planned.    

The proposal met with mixed reactions from downtown restaurant operators Tuesday.

“I’m excited about it after hearing about what the plans are,” said Dan Martini, an owner of The Federal, 101 W. Federal St. Though he is unsure what kind of foot traffic it will drive downtown, being able to sell alcoholic beverages to people downtown for concerts or the holiday parade will be a good opportunity.

Mark Canzonetta, who plans to open Casa di Canzonetta in the Stambaugh Building space where he previously operated Bistro 1907 this fall, doesn’t oppose the district but isn’t sure Youngstown is ready for it given “how the city looks with its construction,” he said.

“I don’t think we’ve put enough time into thinking through how we’re going to manage it,” he continued. “We have to be able to know how we’re going to manage it, from a police force perspective. And how are we supposed to enforce it?”

His concerns include underage drinkers getting their hands on cups and taking “a cheap bottle of vodka out of their backpack and filling it up and then coming into our restaurants and be possibly drunk, disorderly or loitering.

“It could be good in the long-term. I just don’t think 2024 is the year for it,” he said.  

Avalon Downtown, 17 W. Federal St., won’t participate in the DORA, co-owner Anne Sabella said. Like Canzonetta, she is concerned about straining the capacity of the city police force, as well as litter and liability issues.

“There’s liability when you sell alcohol, and sometimes you lose control over it if it walks out that door,” she said.

“I just don’t want to deal with it,” she added. “The city comes up with ideas, and when it comes to executing them, they fall short.”

Martini acknowledged there are always concerns but doesn’t foresee big issues arising from the DORA. “If they enforce the rules, it should be fine,” he said.

City police would monitor the DORA during the designated hours, and community partners or “ambassadors” would help police address safety concerns. And details about the cups and wristbands are still being worked out with the business owners, Gilchrist said. Not having it in place every day of the week is another way to control safety and avoid the mayhem that critics fear.

“As we move forward, we will continue to iron out those details with our business owners,” she continued. “All may not want to participate, but a good majority, I’m sure, will participate in it.”

If council approves the resolution, the city will submit its application to the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control and begin a 30-day public comment period. The approval process should take 45 days, Gilchrist said.

“We really feel like this is going to be a great kick-start to our economic development growth and entertainment downtown,” she said.  

Pictured at top: Dan Martini, an owner of The Federal, stands outside the restaurant on 101 W. Federal St.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.