CLEVELAND — On Wednesday, Cleveland City Council cleared the way for Playhouse Square to become a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA). It's a move that clears the way for both an indoor everyday area in the theater complex and an outdoor one for special events.
"Don't expect a sudden slew of events on the plaza every weekend," said Craig Hassall, Playhouse Square CEO. He said their approach will be measured to start. "It will reflect a lot of things we already do, like the Tri-C Jazz Fest or BorderLight or events on the plaza."
Those are the big events but he said this all stemmed from something much smaller.
"Actually the motivation for the DORA was to allow us more flexibility inside the theaters, in the lobbies and the bars and so on," Hassall said. "If you're in one of our bars and you buy a drink you can't walk out of that bar into the lobby of say the Bulkley Building which seems a bit silly because, like why not?"
He doesn't know of any of Playhouse Square's outdoor events where the DORA, after getting the anticipated state approval in a month or two, would be put to use this year, but down the road?
"I'd love to see events eventually like a holiday market on the plaza or other things. So there are lots of things in the wind and the DORA will allow us to really plan more comprehensively for those events."
Cailyn Starnes told us she doesn't drink, but she said she has seen the difference DORAs have made in other parts of the state.
"As someone who grew up in a small town that started to do that, it brought a lot more tourists to the area and I think that would be really good especially for Playhouse Square," Starnes said.
The only pushback from council was over the question why the city isn't going bigger. Councilman Charles Slife pointed to The Banks in Cincinnati, an 85-acre DORA that encompasses the area around the city's two downtown stadiums. He asks why isn't Cleveland doing that?
"I don't understand the controversy between someone buying a drink at Parnells and walking to Progressive Field. That's the intent of a DORA," Slife said. "Or someone having dinner on East Fourth, having dinner at the Dolly Parton place and getting one more drink for — as they walk down Euclid to go to the theater. That's the purpose of a DORA not to be able to have special events six times a year."
This is something he and several other members of council asked the Bibb Administration to further explore especially considering that Cleveland is limited to six DORAs.
As for seeing their DORA expand and merge with East Fourth, Playhouse Square's Hassall said they'll follow the city's lead. "If it supported the mayor's vision I'd be on board. It's really important that all of our neighborhoods support the mayor's vision."
