Alpena is home to Michigan’s newest outdoor drinking district.
State lawmakers are allowing the “social zones” to let businesses serve a greater number of people without crowding them indoors during the pandemic.
Alpena’s district includes several blocks of businesses, three parks and two different waterfront sections.
Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Anne Gentry said she hopes the space represents a move toward making downtown a walking destination, instead of a place people just drive through in their cars.
“You can park your car for the day and stroll through, so you’re not just going from parking lot to parking lot,” she said.
Pedestrian-friendly areas are important for the health of both people and businesses, said Gentry: People on foot spend more money, because they visit stores and restaurants by chance, instead of cruising by them when they’re driving.
“It’s really important to encourage people to walk, not just for the enjoyability of it, but also, there’s studies that show that people that walk through a space or through a downtown, as opposed to driving through an area, tend to spend more money, as well,” she said.
The city heard concerns that the district will enable drunken behavior in public, but Gentry said she’s not worried.
She said the city’s rules will require outdoor patrons to be mobile, which decreases the chances of being overserved.
“Someone that’s just sitting at a bar that might be getting served and overserved and just can sit and order something probably would be more likely to overindulge a little bit,” said Gentry.
The city said all the cups allowed in the district will be recyclable in an effort to reduce waste.