The streets close, the drinks appear and the people come in droves to have a good time with friends and spend copious amounts of money, but it only happens three or four times a year.
Am I the only one who thinks the city of Auburn is highly under utilizing the entertainment district ordinance?
I know many agree with me, and for those who don't know what I'm talking about, here's a little knowledge I'm going to fling your way.
Every once in a blue moon (a couple times a semester maximum) the cross section of streets from the intersection of Glenn and College to Thatch, and from Gay to Wright are sectioned off for entertainment. A band usually plays and it's legal to have drinks on the streets.
It's usually packed too, which means more money for Auburn's businesses.
College students love it, especially those who frequent the bars and even those who don't have an obligation to be social.
So why does Auburn allow this to happen only three or four times a year?
I have no idea. The only downsides I could possibly see is it could be an inconvenience to traffic as Magnolia and College form the driving hub of Auburn, but people can go around.
The other downside for the city would be more police officers have to monitor the people in the entertainment district.
I would say that puts the distinguished officers of the Auburn Police Department to work more than searching for a reason to pull college students over.
My biases aside, there are really no downsides to using the entertainment district ordinance at least four or five times a semester, especially in the fall.
Auburn officials have said they don't want to turn downtown Auburn into a "street party every night."
Ok, 10 days a year is hardly every night, and it would do wonders for some struggling businesses downtown.
Many businesses are struggling because of the recent lull in Auburn football performance as most stores depend on game day weekends to bring in large amounts of revenue for the year.
I can't think of a better way to counteract a loss of revenue because of football than the utilization of the entertainment district ordinance.
And if the football team gets back on track, (which it should soon with the way we're headed) it will serve as a surplus for businesses, and no one, especially the City of Auburn tax collecting, can complain.
I'm saying this like I care about how well the businesses do; I don't really, but that's only because I have no share in their profits.
What I do care about is turning Auburn into a college town that others want to come to and have a good time, and that's a win-win for everyone except crotchety old men who don't want darn kids on their lawns. So in a sense, I do care about the businesses, because helping them helps Auburn college students.
This ordinance is a gift, a gift to the people of Auburn. So I ask, why not use this ordinance more?
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