OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A program to allow outdoor drinking in Oshkosh has been extended from just three and a half months to now a year.
The city’s common council voted on Tuesday to keep the policy. It’s called the “designated outdoor refreshment area,” known as “DORA.”
The Oshkosh business improvement district came up with the idea to have a designated outdoor area where people can enjoy an adult beverage.
The policy has inspired other events.
“Because that’s available, there will be new music downtown Oshkosh in Opera House Square, which is great,” said Kris Larson, board member of Oshkosh’s Business Improvement District.
Larson says the original goal was to bring more visitors to the downtown area. Now, city leaders want more time to do that.
“But it was pretty incomplete, because it was only for about three and a half months, and because of that, I think council felt they just wanted to extend it another year,” said Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff.
Rohloff tells FOX 11 the plan didn’t get any negative feedback in its first year this past summer.
“I think they felt that given the positive response, we’ll keep an eye on it, but I don’t think we’ll need to have a police presence anything over and above our normal police service.”
The district stretches from the river walk on the Fox River, up North Maine Street until Fulton Avenue.
People can bring or consume alcohol anywhere within the boundaries of the refreshment area.
“I don’t think there’s any reason personally that it should expand from here,” said Larson. “The reasoning is obviously driving vibrancy in the areas; it’s not about going from bar to bar.”
Larson is also the owner of Becket’s, a restaurant that is located within the designated area. He says business increased when the policy was put into place.
“Cups are not a requirement of this program, but there are stickers for venues that want to use them. We were through many big spools of stickers.”
The pilot program ran from July to October — 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.
It will run longer next year, from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024.
The new hours will be 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday to Friday, and 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.
“The Saturday one is a big one for us and especially for other wedding venues downtown and often times those folks are at a venue and they have time to kill in between,” said Larson. “This will allow them to explore the entirety of downtown and a beverage at the same time.”
The council will continue to review the program and determine whether to keep it running, for years to come.
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