Atlanta’s first open container neighborhood: Historic South Downtown
Atlanta will soon allow open alcohol containers in historic South Downtown, making it the first neighborhood in the city where residents and visitors can traverse public sidewalks and streets with an alcoholic drink in hand.
The significant change approved by the Atlanta City Council on Monday is aimed at bringing more foot traffic to the area — especially ahead of FIFA World Cup soccer matches that start in June and are expected to bring tens of thousands of people to Mercedes-Benz Stadium — just a six-minute walk away.
It also follows a series of major public investments by the city in downtown. Those include multiple affordable housing projects, such as the 2 Peachtree building conversion and Trinity Central Flats complex just outside City Hall; more than $120 million toward street repaving; and the city’s first municipal grocery store, Azalea Fresh Market.
“My goal is to make sure downtown Atlanta is a destination,” said Councilmember Jason Dozier, who represents the area and introduced the legislation.
Dozier also worked alongside the developers of the South Downtown project, a partnership between Atlanta Ventures founders Jon Birdsong and David Cummings, to get clearance for the open container district.
The scattered development encompasses 57 buildings across roughly 16 acres of the neighborhood between Underground Atlanta, Five Points MARTA station and Centennial Yards.
But the open container district would include the surrounding historic neighborhood, once considered the center city with Atlanta’s Terminal Station, Hotel Row and a bustling shopping corridor.
The new rules take effect April 15 and may pave the way for the same change in other areas of the city.
Dozier also introduced new legislation on Monday that would create an additional, temporary public entertainment district downtown during the World Cup, from June 11 to July 19, that would also allow open containers. The parameters of that district were not immediately clear after the ordinance received a first reading Monday. It will be debated in committee next week.
The Dickens administration previously floated the idea of creating open container districts and adjusted pouring hours in hopes of boosting the tournament’s estimated economic impact from $500 million to more than a billion.
Around 300,000 visitors are expected downtown during the eight games, which include a coveted semifinal match.
About the Author
Riley Bunch is a reporter on the local government team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering Atlanta City Hall. She covers the mayor and Atlanta City Council while also keeping an eye on the city’s diverse neighborhoods.
