The village of Stevensville could soon get a downtown social district.
Social districts are outdoor areas in a city where people can carry around alcoholic beverages and mingle. They were created during the COVID pandemic as a way to encourage economic activity and have continued since the end of the pandemic after proving popular.
Stevensville Village Manager Kacey Dominguez tells us the village council is studying the issue.
“Village Council has been looking at it specifically for our village events,” Dominguez said. “We have three to four pretty large and well-attended village events in our downtown area, which would overlap that social district. It would allow our licensees abutting the social district to provide to-go cups with drinks so people can walk around our Mother’s Day Market or our Christmas in the Village or a car show.”
Dominguez says Stevensville would have three licensees, or alcohol vendors that could be part of the social district. If the village council moves ahead with the idea, it would have to get state permission, and then the three qualifying businesses would each have to apply as well.
Dominguez says the council right now is discussing the exact boundaries of the social district and will consider potential social district maps in April. You can review the proposal here.
