Montgomery expands entertainment districts

Montgomery is rolling out a welcome mat for more revelers, and not just on New Year’s Eve.

The City Council voted Tuesday to change and expand its entertainment districts near downtown, which will allow people to walk the street with open alcohol containers over a broader area in certain conditions.

The newly reshaped districts include one called “the hill” that connects to downtown and loops in development along Clay Street and Goldthwaite Street, as well as Caroline and Holcombe streets. Councilman Clay McInnis said the goal was to include developments in the Cottage Hill neighborhood, like Goat Haus Biergarten and Hilltop Public House.

The new districts go into effect Dec. 29. After that, people can buy drinks at venues there and carry them anywhere within the district between 9 a.m. and midnight.

The city already had an entertainment district across much of downtown and the riverfront. Two other existing districts cover venues along Cloverdale Road and Fairview Avenue.

McInnis said he had been working with Councilor Marche Johnson and local business owners for months to craft the new districts, while also complying with a state law that limits the amount of acreage in each. “We expanded it, but what we did was create three mini-districts downtown,” McInnis said.