Open-container districts sought for cities in Ohio

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

Ohio lawmakers are considering a proposal that would bring a little bit of Bourbon Street to the Buckeye state.

The idea is to allow for entertainment districts similar to those in New Orleans and Memphis, Tenn., where revelers could carry open containers of alcohol outside of bars and restaurants in some cities.

The bill that recently passed the House and is now in the Senate would allow cities with populations of at least 35,000 to create a district where it would be legal to walk outside with open containers of alcohol. Two districts would be allowed in cities with populations of 50,000 or more.

At current population levels, Youngstown would be eligible for two districts, and Warren would be eligible for one district.

Customers in the districts could legally buy and drink alcohol within a designated area of a half square mile. But they wouldn’t be permitted to bring their own drinks.

The bipartisan bill passed the House 82-12 two weeks ago.

Supporters want the entertainment districts approved in time for Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game on July 14 in Cincinnati. Some Cincinnati leaders had hoped the legislation could be approved in time for the Cincinnati Reds’ season opener last Monday.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the Reds, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce all sent letters or gave testimony in March calling on lawmakers to pass the bill as soon as possible.

Rep. Louis Blessing III, a suburban Cincinnati Republican and sponsor of the bill, said it is about economic development.

“It should come as no surprise that the last four cities to host the Super Bowl either allowed open-container beforehand or created an exemption specifically for that event,” he told The Columbus Dispatch.

Creating a permanent open-container district would allow businesses to band together to plan concerts and block party-type of events year-round. Districts could be created in entertainment areas such as Columbus’ Arena District, the Flats in Cleveland, the Warehouse District in Toledo and the Banks in Cincinnati.

A legislator who didn’t vote for the House bill was Rep. Bob Cupp, R- Lima, a former Ohio Supreme Court justice.

“Since the end of Prohibition, states have been the ones who regulate the sale and use of alcohol,” Cupp said. “One can get a permit for a big three-day festival, but it’s always the state that has the final say on it. This turns that on its head.”