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ORA Street Map Ohio’s first “outdoor refreshment area” in a metropolitan city will kick-off its grand opening weekend on Friday. Adams Street from 11th to 21st Streets, in the UpTown neighborhood of downtown Toledo, became the first such district upon Toledo City Council approving its creation late last year. Following a soft opening over the past six weeks, The Village on Adams is expanding operation of the district to seven days a week and getting the word out. “While currently being active only part of the week, we’re already seeing increased economic activity along our corridor of Adams Street”, says Zach Lahey representing The Village on Adams, the organization managing the new district. “With the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce’s help and guidance, we worked with city leaders and community stakeholders to ensure the district is an offering that will benefit our city and contribute to the improvement of downtown.” In the district, patrons can walk outside of a participating establishment carrying an alcoholic beverage in an official cup provided at the establishment. Rules for the refreshment area are laid out on the cups, which include not being able to leave the district boundaries with the cup, or enter into an establishment with a cup of alcohol purchased elsewhere. The hours of operation of the district are as follows: • Monday through Friday, 5:00 p.m to 1:00 a.m. • Saturday and Sunday, noon to 1:00 a.m. • Special events and holidays falling on a weekday, noon to 1:00 a.m. House Bill 47, the state legislation allowing for Ohio communities to create outdoor refreshment areas, became law in April of last year. While some smaller communities elsewhere in the state have since passed local ordinances creating such districts, Toledo is the first large city in Ohio to have one. Considerations such as security, sanitation, and street and pedestrian safety are part of the plan approved by the city, and those details are regularly evaluated by The Village on Adams and city officials. For more information about the Adams Street outdoor refreshment area, please contact The Village on Adams at (917) 284-0013. To learn more about the Chamber’s advocacy efforts, you may contact the Chamber’s Advocacy and Public Policy Department at 419-243-8191.