The Downtown ɫ Social District will go into effect on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
The social district permits the sale of alcoholic beverages by licensed establishments to be drank in set public areas. The initiative aims to enhance the downtown experience by allowing customers to be more mobile and enjoy the shops while having a drink. The Downtown ɫ Social District has been registered and approved by the state.
Under the new social district in ɫ, people will be allowed to drink alcohol from nearby establishments on the courthouse square.
Signage and boundaries
The public can expect to see boundary signs being installed in the time leading up to the start date. The signs will be placed at key locations and along the district boundaries. The social district will not be “live” until the official start date.
The district spans Sterling and Green streets from where the streets merge on either end of downtown. It also runs west to King Street and has areas covering blocks between Avery Avenue and East Union Street. The courthouse square and the alley off Sterling Street near Toasted and Rolled also will be included, The News Herald previously reported.
People are also reading…
Council members approved this map for the social district in downtown ɫ at their June meeting.
How it works
The social district will be operational Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. To have an alcoholic beverage in the social district, customers can ask for their drink in a designated social district cup when they order at a participating ABC-permitted business. Alternatively, if a customer is already having a drink inside a participating establishment and wants to leave with it, they can ask the business to pour the drink into a social district cup to take with them.
The container must be non-glass, no more than 16 ounces and must clearly identify the business from which it was purchased and display the approved social district logo. Additionally, the cup will be marked with the date and time of purchase. A new cup is required for each drink bought.
Once a beverage is in a social district cup, customers can walk around the downtown area within the social district boundaries. The alcoholic beverage must be consumed within the designated boundaries and disposed of before exiting the district. QR codes on the boundary signs will provide access to a map and additional information on the city’s website.
Participating businesses
Currently, 13 bars and restaurants and 15 non-ABC-permitted businesses are participating in the social district. Businesses have the option to participate in the program by displaying a provided window sign. They will display standardized window signs to indicate their level of participation.
“Sold Here & Welcomed Here”: These businesses sell alcoholic beverages in social district cups and may elect to allow customers to bring in beverages purchased from other participating establishments.
“Sold Here & No Outside Beverage”: These businesses sell alcoholic beverages but have chosen to exclude open containers of alcoholic beverages purchased from other permittees in the social district.
“Beverages Welcome”: Non-ABC permitted businesses with this sign welcome customers with social district cups.
“Please No Beverages”: Businesses with this sign do not allow social district beverages inside their premises.
Important reminders
A few more rules to remember:
- Absolutely no outside alcohol is permitted within the social district. All alcohol consumed in the social district cup must be purchased from an ABC-permitted business within the
- district.
- The district’s rules and regulations will be enforced by ɫ Department of Public Safety and NC Alcohol Law Enforcement officers.
- Trash receptacles are located throughout downtown to encourage proper disposal of used cups and any remaining alcoholic beverages.
The Downtown ɫ Social District will be jointly managed by the city of ɫ, ɫ Public Safety and the ɫ Main Street Office.
For more information, including a map of the district boundaries, visit the city’s website at .
