APPROVED: Homewood is getting an entertainment district

In a vote last night, the Homewood City Council approved the entertainment district, with a few minor revisions. Read on to get the scoop.

Homewood’s Entertainment District

Approved by a 9-1 vote (one Councilor was not present), Homewood is officially getting its own entertainment district. The finalized area is shown highlighted in green above.

During the meeting last night, a few revisions were made to the originally proposed area. According to Homewood City Councilor Nick Sims, this meant some minor adjustments to ensure things like churches and non-profits were not included within the district.

What does this mean for Homewood?

Homewood residents and guests will now be able to carry open containers of alcohol within the specified boundaries of the entertainment district.

This will foster support for multiple businesses, and increase foot traffic across various local restaurants and bars. Business owners across the area are thrilled, including Tostadas owner, Hal Craig.

“We’ve seen what great things other entertainment districts around Birmingham have done, and are excited to see what this does for downtown Homewood. Just like everywhere else, we’ve been hit with so many negatives lately with COVID, food costs and labor, and it’s great to finally have something positive going for restaurants here. I’m excited for visitors to Homewood and people of Homewood that will be able to park their car and easily visit all the local restaurants and bars and shop around town. There’s a lot of potential for bands and events that can come too, and we’re so excited!” 

—Hal Craig, Owner, Tostadas

The fine print of the entertainment district

According to Homewood City Councilor Jennifer Andress, this ordinance has the full support of the Homewood Police Department. But, there are a few regulations patrons will need to follow.

First, you must buy a drink from a business within the district, and cannot bring in outside alcohol.

Second, the entertainment district will only be in effect during the following hours:

• Mon-Wed: 5-9PM
• Thurs-Sat: 12-11PM
• Sun: 12-9PM

Andress also gave us the scoop on when we can expect this to become official. She said it will go into place as soon as it’s passed and signed, so *technically*, it’s adopted now. However, because there are a few other logistics to work out (like signage, etc.) it may not be “announced” until those are in place. 

Keep an eye on the Homewood City Council website for updates.

Safely support local biz

This approval is great news for those that want to support local businesses, but stay COVID safe. Grab a drink to-go and hit the shops, or wait for your dinner reservation outside, rather than idling in a cramped indoor area. 

“I think it’s a good move for Homewood because it activates downtown in a different way. It allows people to enjoy themselves, be outside and shop downtown to support local. I also think there’s an importance to having this signed as an ordinance during the pandemic. It allows flexibility for people to be outside and not be clustered inside, so I think there’s a lot of value both from a pandemic standpoint as well as supporting local business.”

— Nick Sims, Homewood City Councilor

Are you excited for the Homewood’s Entertainment District? Let us know @BhamNow