Elkhart City Council advances Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area

ELKHART, Ind. -- Elkhart City Council members are moving forward with plans to create a Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, a move local restaurant owners say could bring more foot traffic and keep visitors downtown longer.

The council approved a resolution for the proposed district in an eight to one vote Monday night. If finalized, the DORA would allow patrons to purchase alcoholic beverages from participating businesses and carry them openly within designated downtown boundaries.

Despite dreary winter weather now, business owners say downtown Elkhart thrives during warmer months and special events.

“Like Fourth of July, and when we have the drag races downtown, they run right on Jackson Boulevard,” said Tony Corpe, general manager of Bird in the Hand.

City leaders say the proposal is the next step in ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown, following the addition of new apartments and restaurants.

“Normally, if someone gets a drink, they have to stay inside our building or our patio,” Corpe said. “Now they’ll be able to walk downtown, walk across, get different views, and then come back and get lunch.”

Under the DORA, customers would receive designated cups and be allowed to move between participating restaurants and nearby businesses with posted DORA signage, an approach supporters say encourages people to spend more time downtown.

“If you’ve ever visited some of our downtown events, such as Jazz Fest or Rhapsody on Island Park, if you wanted a beer you would have to kind of stay in a segregated fenced area,” First District City Councilman Aaron Mishler said.

Some community members have raised concerns about enforcement, including the possibility of increased public intoxication or impaired driving. Mishler said data from other Indiana communities, 46 of which have successfully implemented DORA’s, does not support those fears.

“I’ve dug into the statistics behind this a little bit and reached out to some other communities in Indiana, and they have not seen an increase in disorderly conduct,” he said.

Councilman Dwight Fish described the proposal as a “cherry on top” of Elkhart’s downtown redevelopment efforts prior to the vote.