Terre Haute council approves DORA ordinance
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The city of Terre Haute is the latest Indiana community to implement a designated outdoor refreshment area, or DORA.
Our partners at WTWO-TV report the Terre Haute City Council has unanimously approved an ordinance to establish two downtown areas allowing residents to consume alcohol outside.
Under the ordinance, which still needs to be approved by the state, people will be able to take drinks that are poured into specific cups from approved establishments outside within the limits of the two DORAs.
The rule will only be in effect from 5 p.m. to midnight on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, as well as Saturdays from 11 a.m. to midnight.
Related: Indiana cities aim for more vibrant downtowns with outdoor drinking areas
Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun told WTWO he believes having the DORAs in place will lead to more downtown events.
“We’ve got a strong downtown, with large revitalization projects coming to the area,” Sakbun said. “There are a lot of logistics required to be able to drink downtown under the current guidelines and this helps alleviate some of those to promote more downtown programming and events for Hoosiers to participate in.”
The mayor said the city will work with the participating businesses to ensure they have the correct signage and expects the new rules to go into effect in a few months.
More than two dozen Hoosier communities—including Fort Wayne, Highland, and Mishawaka—have added DORAs since the passage of Senate Enrolled Act 20 by the Indiana General Assembly in 2023.