JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 The Jacksonville City Council has passed an ordinance to extend alcohol sales in the city to 3 a.m.<\/p>\n
The ordinance passed 17-1, with Councilman Mike Gay representing the lone \u2018no\u2019 vote. <\/p>\n
According to the legislation, the extended alcohol sales time will go into effect once it is signed by Mayor Deegan. <\/p>\n
Currently, bars and restaurants in Jacksonville must make last call for alcohol at 2 a.m. The new proposal pushes that to 3 a.m., following recent expansions to outdoor dining options in the area.<\/p>\n
Previous coverage on this can be seen in the video player below<\/p>\n
Business owners and city leaders have stated their belief that the extended hours could help transform downtown\u2019s entertainment scene and support growth.<\/p>\n
The proposal would affect about 63 businesses in three designated zones: the North Core, Central Core, and the Sports and Entertainment District around the stadium.<\/p>\n
When City Council was discussing the ordinance earlier in the month, Councilman Raul Arias, who introduced the bill, said, \u201cDowntown, even though it\u2019s not my district, it\u2019s the heart of any city. This will be another step. It just brings light and energy to downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked about concerns related to crime, Arias responded, \u201cWe\u2019re going to look at the models that work right now in Tampa and see what they\u2019re doing to mitigate those concerns. I don\u2019t mind holding this up for another two or three weeks to make sure everyone feels safe about this decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
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