Cincinnati will soon have two more DORAs: one in Hyde Park and one in College Hill. Council approved the proposals Thursday for the “designated outdoor refreshment areas,” which allow people to take alcoholic beverages out of bars and restaurants within a certain area.
Seth Walsh, executive director of the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, says the plans have been in the works for about nine months.
“I'm optimistic that here in the next month, we're going to be able to kind of have some soft opening for it,” Walsh said. “We've got a huge slate of summer events going on in College Hill, and the DORA is designed to really be able to encapsulate the business district and bring that to life.”
The city’s first DORA at The Banks opened last year.
A DORA in Westwood started operating a couple months ago. Council also voted Thursday to extend the hours in Westwood so the DORA can open earlier on weekends.
State law limits Cincinnati to six designated outdoor refreshment areas. So far the city has considered proposals on a first-come, first-served basis. City officials say they will be more intentional in deciding where the last two DORAs should be.