Should Bricktown and MidTown be Granted Special Alcoholic Beverage Zoning?
“As the 50th largest city in the United States, we are in a competition with other urban communities such as Oklahoma City, Kansas City and Fort Worth, all of whom actively seek to create a social environment that is attractive to a young, progressive demographic,” Mayor Brewer testified before a legislative committee. “We firmly believe that proper regulation, licensing and oversight will ensure a responsible use of this opportunity. Large urban environments such as Wichita require the option of self-regulation to meet the needs and expectations of our population.”
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One more thing…why is alchohol consumption not being treated the same as tobacco use, from a public health standpoint? Once again…call me old-fashioned.
Though I think Steve’s introduction is wholly sufficient, I do want to make clear that I only bookmarked this article because it mentions OKC, not because I was taking a position for or against such a policy.
And I agree with Kris…”thoughtful deliberation” should be a part of all the major decisions we make.
Call ME old-fashioned… What about being able to buy real beer, and wine at the grocery store… First things first!
Has anyone ever been to Norman on an OU Football game day? Not sure how they license the multiple establishments, but the atmosphere allows for thousands of people to walk around campus corner. There is also a family friendly “no alcohol” fan fest area North of the stadium.
Ask the campus corner merchants how important game day is to their business…
Agree with Kris and Blair, I think I’m fine with the current process. During events such as the Big 12 Tourney there are designated alcohol tents/areas on the street. Seems like a fine way to run the selling of alcohol since we don’t seem to be looking for the Bourbon Street vibe (KC does this as well). By the way Blair, if you are ever on the Green Line out at Cleveland Circle, stop in at Pino’s Pizza and have a slice of cheese pizza for me, you won’t regret it.
Wichita is a “large urban environment?” I think the Wichita mayor meant to say “stagnant wasteland.”
I agree with Dennis. Let there be 6 point!
I also agree with Brent, how about during certain events allow alcohol on the streets. I love midtown, but I don’t feel the need to grab a beer to go at McNellies to walk over to Cafe Brasil.
I think all of the bums in Wichita got smart and lobbied the city council so they can walk around with their bottles…
I spent quite a bit of time in Austin and have to say if they didn’t close Sixth Street down, it wouldn’t be anything anyone ever mentioned. I don’t think anyone is advocating public intoxication by advocating closing a street on Friday and/or Saturday night. Those who drink to get drunk will do that in any event, without regard to where, when or why. What closing a street down does do is contribute to a more urban, modern feel and definitely makes it a more fun environment to hang out and socialize in. In regards to the “old-fashioned” commentary and treating alcohol like tobacco, it seems to me that you can smoke (or dip) outdoors in public just about anywhere., so are you advocating being able to drink anywhere as long as it’s not indoors? And while agree with Matt about grabbing a beer at McNellies and walking across the street, I think it’s instructive to point out that’s not what anyone is talking about here. There are some valid reasons to consider closing a street on a weekend night and there are some valid reasons not to. What it comes down to is what the city is trying to accomplish in terms of hip vibes, etc. As I said, if Sixth Street wasn’t closed in downtown Austin, nobody would even bother to hit it. It is about creating “coolness”. Sadly , I’m probably one of your older readers, Steve, I’m in my 40′s, but I am thankful to not be old-fashioned.
My point about treating alcohol like tobacco is that there is a staggering number of alcohol related injuries, homicides, suicides, car accidents every day/week/month/year. Similar to the harm caused by tobacco (first hand or second hand).
In the past couple of years we have seen a lot of push for “breathe-free” zones and lots of marketing aimed at getting people off of tobacco. Why is there not the same push for alcohol? Help me understand, I am willing to learn and accept any reasonable rationale.
Bricktown is set up perfectly for a version of the “Power and Lights” district of Kansas City. I’d like to see us go this direction and block off part of Bricktown for an outdoor party making Bricktown the perfect Party and Entertainment destination that other cities have. Serving alcohol outdoors is not the end of the world if monitored correctly which Kansas City does very well and the amount of people at “Power and Lights” greatly out numbers how many people are going to Bricktown on the weekend…at least until they have affordable housing for the supporting demographic (but that’s a conversation for an earlier blog haha)
Call me old-fashioned, but is it not enough to consume alcohol inside the house/apartment/bar/restaurant? Because public intoxication on city streets (Bourbon Street style) really screams “professional” to me. This one really deserves some thoughtful deliberation, in my opinion. But I know my view will certainly be in the minority here!