Mayor says Athens DORA to go live; council committee discussed expanding the footprint

The mayor announced that Athens’ designated outdoor refreshment area, commonly called DORA, will go live Friday to coincide with graduation weekend and described how the program will operate. "For those of you who don't know what DORA is, it's the designated outdoor refreshment area," the mayor said, adding that patrons must be 21, may purchase a DORA cup to carry adult beverages within the footprint, and cannot continue consuming the drink outside the designated area without risking an open-container violation.

The mayor said the DORA footprint has expanded over previous years — from Court Street down to Washington and later to include Stimson Avenue — and that at a council committee meeting Monday night members considered another expansion toward the Cider House and a nearby distillery. "It'll be interesting to see how that shakes out in the not-too-distant future," he said.

He recited standard operating hours for the program: Monday through Saturday, noon to 11 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. The mayor also highlighted scheduled downtown events that will take place inside the DORA footprint this summer, including arts and music festivals and several fireworks nights tied to the Great Lakes Summer League season, and urged attendees to observe the 21-plus and container rules.

The announcement described the program as a temporary summertime measure that typically wraps up the week before Ohio University begins its fall semester. The mayor said the city will monitor the expanded footprint and events as the summer progresses and that details about the committee discussion will appear on the city’s meeting materials for further public review.