Entertainment district grand opening is Sat., June 1 – The Atmore Advance

A grand opening for the Arts & Entertainment District in downtown Atmore will be held this Sat., June 1.

In January, the Atmore City Council approved an ordinance to create the district. The ordinance was first read during a Dec. 11, 2023 meeting. During the December meeting, City Attorney Larry Wettermark said he had worked with members of the community who expressed a desire to have a downtown entertainment district, according to Advance archives.

Wettermark said a state law was amended not long ago to provide a relaxing of liquor laws through the Alabama Beverage Control Board. He added that the idea wasn’t to have a free reign of liquor on the streets, but to have a unified district or a number of licenses to allow them together and have events.

According to Alabama Code 28-3A-17.1, the act allows the council to establish an entertainment district within the corporate limits of the city of Atmore, and must have not fewer than four retail alcoholic beverage licensees and which may not exceed one-half mile by one-half mile in area.

The district map incudes businesses Gather, Strand Theatre, Encore, The Coffee House LLC, The Publican, Grizzly Pizza & Wings, Atmore Florist, Hawt Mess Boutique and Cotton + Co., to name a few.

Mayor Jim Staff said the entertainment district reminds him of when Atmore held the first Artmore.

“Opelika’s where we got the idea from,” Staff said.

According to a release, in the district, patrons, guests or members of a retailer licensee that is licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption (and manufacturer licensees that conducts tastings/samplings) within the entertainment district may exit the licensed premises with open containers of alcoholic beverages and consume alcoholic beverages anywhere within the confines of the entertainment district.

Consumption of alcoholic beverages can be done as long as these rules are followed, according to a release.

• In order to exit a licensed premises within the entertainment district with alcoholic beverages, the alcoholic beverage must be in a cup with The District logo (of no more than 16 fluid ounces). There are no glass cans allowed. No licensee shall allow alcoholic beverages to be removed from the licensed premises in other than these approved containers (except with respect to sales for off- premises consumption pursuant to Ala. Code § 28-3A-20.1, concerning removal of one resealed bottle of wine), or as otherwise permitted by Alabama law. No person shall be in possession of any alcoholic beverage container within the entertainment district area that is not of this type.
• No establishment shall dispense to any person more than one such alcoholic beverages at a time for removal from the premises.
• The licensee’s patrons, guests, or members may not enter another licensed premise with open containers or closed containers of alcoholic beverages acquired elsewhere.
• Patrons, guests, and members of licensees within the entertainment district shall not be permitted to possess or consume alcoholic beverages within the confines of the district that are acquired outside the district.
• It shall be unlawful for any person to re-use or to knowingly allow the re-use of an approved container for the entertainment district for an alcoholic beverage.
• The entertainment district goes into effect on June 1, 2024, and shall be operative all days during the week (including Sunday), between the hours of 4:00 pm and 12:00a .m.
• The entertainment district shall not extend to: (i) the interior of any automobile/motor vehicle, (ii) any private property where alcoholic beverages are prohibited by the owner or proprietor of such property, and (iii) any area that is being used for a special event pursuant to the Code of Ordinances, City of Atmore, Alabama and that is posted by the organizer of such special event with signage at each entrance or in conspicuous places that no alcoholic beverages are allowed in the area.
• At any time, the Police Chief has the authority to temporarily close the entertainment district, which includes the authority to require persons to disperse from the area, should he determine it is appropriate to do so in order to protect public health/safety. In such case, the district shall remain closed until he allows the district to be re-opened, and the City is not responsible for any costs incurred by any person because of the closing.
• All alcohol licensee/businesses wanting to participate in the entertainment district must notify the City, who will notify the ABC to confirm their designation as participants. As of February 14, 2024 , the City has notified ABC of the following licensee businesses who will be participating: The Encore, Gather, Coffee House, Publican, and Grizzly Pizza
• All alcohol licenses are still required to abide by all other generally applicable state and local laws and regulations.
• Nothing herein is intended to confer any rights or entitlement. Selling and/or consuming alcohol within a district is a privilege, not a right, and is subject at all times to reasonable regulation. The City reserves the right to modify or repeal the Ordinance and Resolution concerning entertainment districts, and any entertainment district designation created thereunder, at any time.

Staff said the district will be nothing but a good thing for Atmore.

“The mayor (of Opelika), he used to live here in Atmore, and he said you would not believe what it did for the downtown,” he said. “It got folks out and walking, and just strolling around. If you get a good, cool day where it’s not real hot, it’s ideal. He said it’s brought people together.”
Staff added that the district has been researched, and all it’s ever did is help the downtown district.

district.

Staff on opening of the entertainment district June 1 –

I was one of the ones that institgated that thing. It’s giving more folks to om wodwnot. It’s going to help the downtown merchants.

Most folks will have cup of beer, ain’t come to down.

Remember the first artmore we had. If weyou bought the glass, we’d give you the win.

Opeklika where wegot the deal fro. It makes sense to connect the two bars south and north end.

saw in other towns

Opelika is ore so. The mayr, he used to live here in Atmore, he said you would not believe what it did for the donow. It got folks out and walking, and just strolling around. If you get a good day where it’s not real hot. He said it’s brought people together.

No event specific

It has been researched, and all it’s ever did is help the downtown district; it brought peple in and. When you’re ckilling.

The Atmore City Council approved an ordinance to create an entertainment district downtown during its regular meeting Jan. 8.

The ordinance, 04-2023, was first read during the council’s Dec. 11, 2023 meeting. During the meeting, City Attorney Larry Wettermark said he had worked with members of the community who expressed a desire to have a downtown entertainment district, according to Advance archives.

Wettermark said a state law was amended not long ago to provide a relaxing of liquor laws through the Alabama Beverage Control Board. He added that the idea wasn’t to have a free reign of liquor on the streets, but to have a unified district or a number of licenses to allow them together and have events.

“The ordinance has constraints,” he said. “First of all, you draw a district. The map will be available to the public before the city makes a decision in the next meeting. Any entity who has a liquor license will be allowed to have patrons leave the business, but have to provide a cup with their name on it (the cup). The intent was to allow as a unified district to get people to get together. The ordinance controls the size of the container. It will be involved, and there will be a little bit of enforcement of the police department. In the end, it also requires an amendment of or city ordinance about drinking in public.”

Wettermark said the ordinance will include public spaces, such as Boxcar Willie and others.

The district map incudes businesses Gather, Strand Theatre, Encore, The Coffee House LLC, The Publican, Grizzly Pizza & Wings, Atmore Florist, Hawt Mess Boutique and Cotton + Co., to name a few. The district is outlined in black.

District 4 Council Member Shawn Lassiter abstained from the vote as his wife, Hope, owns The Publican.