The Jefferson City Council approved creation of a fourth festival district during its meeting Thursday - to accommodate St. Patrick's Day celebrations near the intersection of West Main and Bolivar streets, four blocks from the Capitol - sending it on to the full City Council.
The bill, introduced by 2nd Ward Councilman J. Rick Mihalevich, won the support of all four members of the committee at the meeting, which Mihalevich chaired in the absence of Chairman Rick Prather, who is recovering from hip surgery.
With the luck of the Irish and the enthusiastic support of the local Irish-American community, Paddy Malone's Irish Pub owner Allen Tatman believes a first festival could occur before or after St. Patrick's Day 2017.
City counselor Ryan Moehlman joined the meeting to explain the bill, if passed by the council, will allow temporary outdoor consumption of alcoholic beverages. City Administrator Steve Crowell said he would continue to have the discretion to approve or deny applications for event licenses on a case-by-case basis.
Jefferson City already has three designated festival districts:
Downtown Festival District, which includes High Street from Jefferson to Monroe streets; Madison from Wall Way to Commercial Way; and
Commercial from 100 feet west of Madison to 200 feet east of Madison.
Dunklin Street Festival District, including Dunklin Street from Madison to Jefferson.
Central East Side Entertainment District, which is on High Street from Chestnut to Ash and Ash from High to Wall Way.
Mihalevich said he was prompted to offer the proposed ordinance after discussions with the West Main Street pub owner. Tatman is keen to organize a St. Patrick's Day festival, beginning this year, at the West Main and Bolivar intersection and surrounding neighborhood, Mihalevich said. Tatman envisions a multi-day weekend festival featuring a Celtic band, vendors, artists, dancers and storytellers collected in and around Rotary Park. The area just hosted the well-attended celebration marking the lighting of the Mayor's Christmas Tree, which is still illuminated.
Such an event would not be a first for Tatman. He previously has promoted concerts at the Miller Performing Arts Center, the Langston Hughes Theater at Lincoln University and at The Millbottom.
"I think we can start out small and see where it goes," Tatman said. "I give Rick (Mihalevich) all of the credit for getting this going."
The council requested Moehlman work with officials of the Capitol Police and the Secretary of State's Kirkpatrick building to ensure cooperation with the two organizations that operate within a bagpipe's wail of the potential new festival district. Mihalevich said he was confident both would cooperate with the city to advance the new festival.
Diane Gillespie, executive director of the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, applauded the action. She told the Finance Committee any additional event, like a St. Patrick's Day festival in the proximity of Paddy Malone's, would generate significant revenue for the city.