Board tightens entertainment-district rules: outside alcohol banned, midnight cutoff set; emergency clause attached

The Texarkana Board of Directors adopted amendments to the downtown Entertainment District ordinance to address public-safety and economic concerns in the downtown area.

Planner Jamie and police staff told the board the revisions stem from prior workshops and aim to restore the district’s purpose of directing spending to downtown restaurants and bars and preventing large informal tailgate parties on vacant lots. The amendments were described as three main changes: (1) a prohibition on consuming alcohol in the entertainment district that was purchased outside the district, (2) removal of selected liquor-store lots (including the lots associated with Rock House Liquor) from the entertainment district map, and (3) a midnight closure parameter for the district’s open-consumption allowances, with a requirement that the city planner review the district at least annually.

Directors and staff debated enforcement and effect on businesses. Police staff said officers would not start ejecting people at midnight but would instruct people to move indoors if they were drinking alcohol from outside sources; a public commenter asked the city to ensure public messaging did not imply a full shutdown at midnight. Some council members said removing the liquor-store lots would address tailgating and curb underage or off-site consumption; others questioned whether removal would materially change behavior and reported limited direct input from some liquor-store owners.

At the final reading the board voted to adopt the ordinance and attached an emergency clause so that the prohibition on outside-purchased alcohol could be enforced immediately. The roll call for the emergency clause recorded two no votes and the clause passed by majority.