At last week’s City Council meeting, businesses and restaurants on the Promenade got a double dose of good news. First, the city reported that vacancy is down to less than one in six buildings, well down from the 40% number from the pandemic era that is still reported in news and podcasts.
The second is that the city will examine creating an “entertainment district” designation for the Promenade that would allow for patrons to hold and drink alcoholic beverages bought at Promenade restaurants outside of their footprint but within the Promenade area.
In 2023, the state passed a law allowing for the “open carry” of alcoholic beverages in Front Street in San Francisco. The results were dramatic, as the area saw an immediate uptick in the social scene and fewer homeless people outside during evening business hours. Happy with the results, Bay Area state legislators Scott Wiener and Matt Haney proposed and passed a new law allowing cities throughout the state to create their own “entertainment districts.”
Councilmembers Gleam Davis and Jesse Zwick authored a motion asking staff to examine the new state law (SB 969 for those interested), and craft an ordinance to create an entertainment district for the Promenade.
“If we really are concerned about economic development in the Downtown, one of the things we need to do is find more ways to get people to come to the Promenade,” argued Zwick.
Davis had done her homework before the meeting, and looked not just at Front Street, but similar areas in other cities in the Southeast states and even Canada.
“This is not even that uncommon outside of California,” explained Councilmember Davis who pointed to examples in Savannah, GA, Nashville, TN and Montreal, Canada in addition to Front Street.
Davis spoke to officials in San Francisco and Nashville and these cities did not report an uptick in crime or drunk driving after adding entertainment zones.
While the Council voted unanimously to have staff examine the proposal, Mayor Phil Brock did so reluctantly after expressing concerns about encouraging more alcohol consumption.
“We still have a safety problem on the Promenade at night,” he began.
“I’m not convinced that having a lot of people running around drinking would make it ‘fun again,’” he continued, echoing the ‘slogan’ uttered during supportive testimony by Davis and Zwick.
Brock sought clarification whether the entertainment zone would become a permanent fixture in the Promenade or would be just for special events. He also expressed concerns about the need for increased policing, who would bear the cost of that, and that people out drinking would be less likely to visit the retail shops along the Promenade.
Councilmember Lana Negrete tried to allay Brock’s fears.
“If you imagine a street event where we have a beer garden, it gives restaurants who don’t have outdoor dining opportunities a chance to take advantage of the great weather that we have,” she explained.
She also noted that at these events, someone can’t show up with their own alcohol or bring drinks back to their car afterwards…similar to what would be allowed at the Promenade.
“If you look at 1212 and the vibrance they bring to the Promenade with their outdoor dining opportunities it would be like that.”
Davis hopes the city can move fast and perhaps be the first city in Southern California to open an entertainment district. Santa Monica better hurry, West Hollywood, The Pasadena Playhouse District and Long Beach are in the race to be first.
