During its Nov. 5 work session, the Spanish Fort City Council had several questions about a proposed entertainment district that could be coming to the new container park being built at the Spanish Fort Town Center.
The new container park, called “The Fort,” is a mixed-use development with restaurants and shops that will also have a common open-air space where customers can sit, eat and drink.
City Attorney David Conner said that common open-air space would be the likely boundary for the entertainment district, which would allow of-age patrons to carry alcoholic beverages in that specific area.
Conner told the city council rules for the entertainment district would be strictly enforced according to the proposed ordinance, which stated alcohol could not be brought into the district nor could it be bought there and taken off the premises.
The city would designate the specified entertainment district area with proper signage informing patrons of where they can or can not take alcoholic beverages.
Several city council members questioned the size of the cups being used within that entertainment district, as the proposed size was 16 ounces - which some felt might be too small to be practical.
“We may want to look at the size proposed in this ordinance and really consider if that’s what we want,” Councilman Bill Menas said.
The cups would have to come from the businesses in the container park and patrons would not be allowed to enter one container shop with a beverage from another shop.
The entertainment district would allow patrons to exit licensed premises with alcoholic beverages from 10 a.m. until 12 a.m.
City leaders said there were still a number of issues to be discussed on the entertainment district, and Conner said he had looked at other cities’ districts, including Mobile and Montgomery, to figure out the best options for Spanish Fort.
The council will likely take the matter back up at its Nov. 19 meeting.
