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Rossford approves downtown DORA district

After three years of trying, Rossford City Council has approved the ordinance.

ROSSFORD, Ohio — Rossford City Council has approved a DORA for the downtown after three years of trying to get the idea off the ground.

Designated outdoor refreshment areas (DORA) let you walk around with alcoholic drinks in your hand while shopping or just hanging around outside without getting into trouble with the law.

Rossford Mayor Neil MacKinnon said he and the city council originally wanted to pass the ordinance back in 2020, but COVID-19 and large infrastructure projects sidelined them for years.

Now that the downtown area can finally be open and walkable again, they decided now was the time to pass this project, predicting that it will not only be a hit for current residents but will also bring in new people who want to enjoy the city's growing bar scene.

So far, four businesses have joined the DORA group. Billy V's, Danny's cafe, the currently-shuttered Rossford Lanes, and Moe's will all be offering drinks on the go.

Of course, that will come with some restrictions; DORA won't be allowed during school hours and the side of Superior Street that the high school sits on will be outside of the zone. MacKinnon said he doubts anyone will go outside the DORA and bring alcohol into the school zone.

But MacKinnon predicts the Rossford community will use the DORA responsibly, saying that DORAs are becoming part of a normal part of a thriving city.

"The most successful and attractive communities pretty much all have one thing in common, which is they have a DORA district," MacKinnon said. "We're trying to change a culture and chase a market at the same time. People, especially younger people, like to be outside and they like to be mobile. So hopefully this will create and foster a climate for those folks and hopefully at the same time raise interest in our downtown."

Billy V's bartender Mackenzie Handley said with Rossford already hosting its Stroll the Street festival every Tuesday, she thinks even more people will show up if they can order food with a beer in their hand

"We have a lot of regulars now, so I wonder if it will be a lot of new faces coming in to make a pit stop on their walk," Handley said. "it will do nothing but help the businesses."

MacKinnon, and residents at large, are very confident that the whole process will go smoothly.

"We have lots of crosswalks, lots of stop signs, I'm not worried about it being a danger at all," Handley said.

In fact, MacKinnon predicts the biggest change they'll see is larger crowds of people enjoying the downtown.

"It's a great crowd. It's younger people and older people, and lots of families. It's like a modern-day Norman Rockwell painting," MacKinnon said.

The DORA will go into effect May 23, just in time for the first-ever Rossford Music Festival in June, which will feature national acts like Ashley McBryde.

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