A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville is flush with first-rate local breweries, and at least one world-class local distillery. And if a new bill passes the Jacksonville City Council, the local liquor scene downtown will flourish even further.
Ordinance 2017-399, filed by Council President Lori Boyer at the request of the Downtown Investment Authority, would permit distilleries and breweries throughout the entire downtown overlay zoning district.
This would cover, per the bill language, an “establishment or facility in which beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages are produced for on-site consumption where production does not exceed 10,000 barrels (310,000 gallons) per year and off-site sales to a state licensed wholesaler do not exceed 75% of production.”
Off-site consumption would be permitted, as would restricted outside sales and service.
Those following the latest rounds of gentrification in Jacksonville likely have noticed the parallels between craft breweries and distilleries and an infusion of populations that revitalize neighborhoods.
This legislation would permit that kickstart throughout the downtown overlay area, which would play in to a larger strategy of turning the area near the stadium into an entertainment district.
