On Friday, the city of Maysville received its Entertainment Destination Center license from Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Administration, officials said.

The EDC is a part of the economic development plan for Maysville’s historic downtown in coordination with the new B-Line bourbon trail and tourism, Lisa Dunbar, Maysville City Clerk, said.

The Entertainment Destination Center allows businesses within or adjacent to it to apply for by-the-drink licenses. Patrons can leave their businesses with drinks in an appropriate cup and walk within common areas of the EDC. Alcoholic beverages cannot be taken outside the borders of the EDC. Likewise, alcoholic beverages cannot be brought into the EDC to be imbibed publicly. Only alcoholic beverages purchased from licensed vendors within the EDC can be consumed publicly within the EDC, Dunbar explained.

Licensed businesses within the EDC may also set up bars in the common area, with permission from the city manager and purchase a supplemental bar license from the state.

The EDC will cover an area from the banks of the Ohio River to Sutton Street, east from Second Street to Wall Street, north from Wall to Third and from Third Street to the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge and back to the river bank.

A move by state legislators, led by State Rep. John Sims, prompted the application after the cost of a municipal license for an EDC was reduced to about $2,500, Dunbar said recently, about $5,000 less than a private license.

Maysville Mayor David Cartmell said the decision to secure the EDC license and news of Maysville’s inclusion on the B-Line has had an immediate effect on real estate sales in the downtown area with properties being sold and renovation plans made.

With the Entertainment Destination Center now licensed, any business within and adjacent to the district can apply for a by-the-drink license (NQ-2), Dunbar said. No business can serve alcoholic beverages without a license from both the city of Maysville and the state. The state ABC license is $830, and the city license is $550. And licensed vendors are required by state law to purchase alcohol from a licensed distributor.

Under no circumstances, may a business with just a by-the-drink license sell packaged beer or liquor, Dunbar said.

The City passed the EDC ordinance in January and applied for the license at the end of July when state statute went into effect reducing the price. Over the past two weeks, city staff has met with ABC Enforcement to go over the district boundaries and issues regarding enforcement. In addition to signage showing the boundaries of the EDC, the city plans to install security cameras in common areas.

While the city has responsibility to ensure safety in common areas, licensed vendors are still responsible for not over-serving customers and not serving anyone under the age of 21.

Some citizens have expressed concerns about noise, fighting, and other disturbances, which might be associated with public drinking. The city will hold businesses accountable if there are recurring instances of public disturbances associated with their business up to and including revoking their license, Dunbar said.

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Staff Report