The Victoria City Council voted on Tuesday to establish a downtown entertainment district.
This would start the process to make the downtown area more dynamic and attractive, said Danielle Williams, the city’s director of economic development.
“By having an entertainment district in a central location, it will boost local commerce and make a vibrant downtown,” Williams told council members.
The entertainment district will consist of an eight-block area bordered from Constitution Street to Juan Linn and South Williams Street to South Glass Street.
The idea is the downtown area can become a setting for entertainment that improves both the cultural and economic climate in Victoria and the quality of life here. This designation allows the public sidewalks within the district directly in front of retail stores to display merchandise, sandwich board signs, benches, tables and food service.
This would include setting up regulations for sidewalks that would not impede pedestrians, but would allow shops to have sidewalk sales. For concerts downtown, it would regulate how loud music could play and how late. Streets could also be closed during events.
It could allow area businesses to allow customers to bring alcohol outside of bars and restaurants.
“It would allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the district, but other laws would apply,” Williams said.
Williams said the standard sound level would be limited to 90 decibels. That level is about that of a train whistle at 500 feet. Restaurants or entertainment venues within the district that have an alcoholic beverage license or permit from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission may use sound amplifiers during hours of operation. If no alcohol permit is in place, sound amplification would begin no earlier than 10 a.m. on any day.
Williams told council members that any events downtown would be limited to midnight on weeknights and 2 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Any alcohol consumption at events would follow Texas state law. Possession and drinking beer and wine on public property in this district during the days and hours of a special event would be allowed. As per state law, possession of an open container in a car would still be against state law.
“To cultivate a thriving downtown, we have to do it bit by bit,” Williams said. “This is how we’re going to do it.”
A longtime journalist, local government reporter George Coryell likes 1960s muscle cars and firearms.
