Fort Wayne to launch outdoor refreshment area at Electric Works
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The city of Fort Wayne will this weekend open its second Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, in less than a month.
Our partners at WPTA-TV report people will be able to carry alcohol in approved cups throughout the Electric Works mixed-use innovation district campus beginning Saturday.
Established through the passage of Senate Enrolled Act 20 by the Indiana General Assembly in 2023, DORAs allow patrons to take alcoholic drinks outside of an approved establishment as long as they stay within the permitted boundaries.
At Electric Works, located in the city’s downtown, those boundaries include Swinney Avenue to the south, College Street to the west, Broadway to the east, and the railroad as the northern boundary, WPTA reported.
The drinks must be served in specially created cups by participating restaurants, including Chapman’s Brewing Co., The Charlie Horse, Kekionga Craft Co., The Kitchen & Co., and Local Apple Cart.
“We are grateful for the leadership of the City of Fort Wayne and the Downtown Improvement District to bring the DORA to our community and Electric Works,” Katy Skillman, senior director of experience at Electric Works, told WPTA. “This is a step forward in establishing campus as one of Fort Wayne’s essential Third Places, a place where you can interact with other members of the community. You can buy your favorite beverage, stop and linger – perhaps at one of our summer music events.”
The Electric Works DORA comes just weeks after the city launched its first DORA in the downtown core, running run east to west from Calhoun to Harrison Streets and north to south from Promenade Park to Parkview Field.