DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — You may soon be able to enjoy your favorite brew on the go in most of downtown Dayton.
Sandy Gudorf, Downtown Dayton Partnership President, said, “This was the highest priority for our businesses for an expansion of the DORA.
The Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, is looking to expand outside of the current boundaries in the Oregon District. The proposed change, if approved, would expand the boundary to Wilkinson Street and Keowee Street, and north to Five Rivers MetroParks, and businesses are excited if the change goes.
Colin Barnhart, Lock 27 Brewing Sales & Product Manager, said, “It just gives everybody one more reason to come down to the Water Street district and just meander around town and have a good time on a beautiful summer day.”
It won’t just help business but make more of downtown a place to be.
Gudorf said, “We see it as an advantage to our businesses, but also to our downtown just to enhance the experience when people come downtown.”
Getting new faces in the door is a challenge. The change would add another tool to incentivize new customers.
Barnhart said, “The foot traffic we get from the Dayton Dragons is a whole new demographic every single day with Dora coming online. People from river skate, people from all around the Oregon district. It’s, you know, it’s just going to be a fun time to kind of come downtown and see what it’s all about.”
One concern with the program is that it will lead to an increase in intoxicated people downtown, something the Downtown Dayton Partnership say they investigated.
Gudorf said, “We looked really hard at other communities and it’s not like it’s party season where there’s going to be all kinds of public intoxication. That hasn’t happened in other communities.”
The hearing will take place at Wednesday’s City Commission meeting at 6 p.m. It is open to the public.
