Downtown Edmonton's Rice Howard Way could become Saturday booze block this summer
CBC
A central Edmonton street lined with restaurants and pubs could become a free flow of alcohol and entertainment on Saturdays if city council approves a bylaw to allow it.
The city proposes to designate Rice Howard Way an entertainment district from June 1 to Aug. 24 this summer.
If passed, the bylaw would allow the city to close 101A Avenue to vehicles between 100th Street and 101st Street on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
It would let local restaurants and bars sell alcohol to people who can roam inside and outside within the designated borders during those hours.
City council's community and public services committee reviewed the proposal at a meeting Monday, where the city's director of downtown vibrancy, Tom Girvan, said the bylaw would reduce red tape and support local businesses.
"The entertainment district does not promote additional alcohol consumption or increased risks associated with safety and security," Girvan said. "Instead, it enables active activities that are currently permitted to occur more easily by reducing red tape for event organizers and allowing businesses to benefit from events."
WATCH | The city seeks input from the public on downtown entertainment district:
Groups looking to stage an event on Rice Howard require a special event licence from Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis, which can take up to six weeks and allows for only one liquor provider in a beverage garden, Girvan explained.
Last year, the Canadian Hydrogen Convention took out a special event license to host a party on Rice Howard Way, and local businesses weren't able to participate, he noted.
Jordan Beatty, operations manager for the Sherlock Holmes Hospitality Group, joined the meeting to express support for the project.
Local establishments are still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
"We want people to have a reason to come downtown, because right now, people can be a little bit timid about coming downtown," Beatty said. "This will give us an opportunity to showcase what we can do and how safe downtown truly can be."
Anne Stevenson, Ward O-day'min councillor, said the designated district would help boost vibrancy and revitalize the downtown economy.
"This is a way to both attract people and support even more of the businesses surrounding," Stevenson said in an interview Monday.
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