A new entertainment district is proposed for the area of downtown Foley west of Alabama 59. The district is intended to help revitalize the downtown. (Photo courtesy of the City of Foley)
FOLEY, Ala. (WKRG) — Downtown Foley may soon have an entertainment district.
The City Council approved first reading of an ordinance that would establish an entertainment district in the downtown area west of Alabama 59, according to a city press release.
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A final vote on the ordinance is expected in August, according to the release.
Darrelyn Dunmore, executive director of Foley Main Street, said downtown business owners are overwhelmingly supportive of the idea.
“The petition had 150 votes in favor, two votes against and one neutral vote,” Dunmore told the city council. “This is especially true in downtown Foley. All of the people who voted in favor of the petition were business owners and residents.”
Dunmore discussed area cities and communities that have developed entertainment districts to revitalize their downtown areas.
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“Gadsden started in 2017,” Dunmore said. “They had several councils.
The members were afraid that it would end up like New Orleans. That didn’t happen.
It’s going well. In fact, we expanded our district in 2019.”
Dunmore also spoke about OWA’s entertainment district, which was established in 2017. Since then, there have been just 13 alcohol-related calls to police.
Foley Mayor Ralph Helmich also supports the idea.
“When Main Street started, we were talking about supporting downtown,” Helmich said, “Downtown is vibrant and we’re looking to expand it, especially at night. It’s really busy during the day, but it’s pretty quiet at night.”
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Foley City Councilman Charles Ebert III said the entertainment district would provide more entertainment for people visiting downtown without encouraging public drinking.
“This is not a place where you can just walk out with a can of beer or a bottle of wine.
“Beverages must be purchased from vendors downtown,” Ebert said.
Alcohol must be served in approved cups at establishments that sell it.”
Visitors to the district will be allowed to pick up alcoholic beverages from bars and restaurants between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m., but the drinks must be in 16-ounce plastic cups marked with the Main Street entertainment district emblem and the name of the establishment where they were purchased.
The entertainment district’s ordinance bans “brown bagging,” the practice of pouring alcohol brought from outside into cups.
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“Customers were not able to take cups from one bar or restaurant to another within the district,” the statement said.
Alcohol consumption will be banned in certain areas of the district, such as parking lots, and regulations regarding underage drinking and public intoxication will also be enforced.
Dunmore said restaurant and bar owners and employees would undergo training programs so they could educate visitors about what is and isn’t acceptable in the entertainment district.