Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas (DORAs) have quietly become a pivotal tool for building entertainment destinations throughout Central Ohio. And while they’ve mostly cropped up in suburban communities, Downtown is finally ready to get in on the action.
The Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC) along with the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (SID), City of Columbus and Franklinton Board of Trade are leading the effort to establish a DORA that would encompass nearly 400 acres (approx 0.62 square miles) of Downtown Columbus and East Franklinton.
“As part of the 2022 Downtown Strategic Planning process, the community was eager to see increased connectivity between nodes of activity in and around Downtown and Franklinton,” explained Amy Taylor, President of CDDC. “The proposed Center City DORA can be a great tool to increase pedestrian activity and bolster small businesses in the area. We’ve studied other communities who have effectively and safely implemented a DORA and are excited about the possibility of establishing a DORA in Downtown.”
The idea behind a DORA is that it allows for festival-like consumption of alcoholic beverages along city sidewalks, patios and other designated areas. The benefit to attendees is a more communal gathering experience, or a “sip and stroll” type of atmosphere. The benefit to local businesses is a boost in alcohol sales within the designated zone.
“For the Capital Crossroads SID, we are most interested in how a DORA can enhance events like the Moonlight and Sunlight Markets on Gay Street, especially as we expect activity to spill over to High Street with new restaurants opening next year,” added Marc Conte, Executive Director of the SID. “A DORA will help the activation of clusters of bars and restaurants in other parts of Downtown too.”
Perhaps the most interesting feature of this new DORA is that its size encompasses multiple neighborhoods, including a large portion of Franklinton to the east of SR-315.
“A single, larger DORA encompassing Franklinton, the Peninsula and Downtown, offers the opportunity to truly connect the great things happening in all three unique areas,” said Trent Smith, Executive Director of the Franklinton Board of Trade. “Franklinton has several terrific places to hang out already, with more coming in the future, and the same is true for the Peninsula and Downtown. Getting out and walking around to visit the small businesses, art galleries, and outdoor spaces within the DORA boundaries is the result we expect.”
Popular destinations and establishments located within the Downtown DORA include Columbus Commons, COSI, Gay Street, The Peninsula, Bicentennial Park, PINS Mechanical, South Fourth Street and a large portion of The Scioto Mile. The Downtown DORA would not include the majority of the Discovery District, North Market, Convention Center, Topiary Park, Brewery District or German Village.
If established, the new DORA would be the second for the Downtown area, following the establishment of the Arena District DORA in 2021 (which was expanded earlier this year). Some of the suburban communities with established DORAs include Bexley, Dublin, Gahanna, Grove City, Hilliard, Powell, Westerville and Worthington.
Public input is currently being sought on the creation of the DORA, and anyone interested in filling out the survey can locate it at downtowncolumbus.com/dora.