photo by: Eric Ayres

Wheeling’s new Private Outdoor Designated Area allows patrons to carry adult beverages between participating businesses on foot, with the intent of creating more vibrant commercial areas for pedestrian traffic.

WHEELING — A steady flow of participating businesses have been tapping into the city of Wheeling’s new Private Outdoor Designated Area since the new district was launched in mid-May.

This year, Wheeling joined the trend embraced by other cities across the country to establish a PODA district — also known in many communities as a DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area) — offering a zone for pedestrian commerce between participating businesses where alcoholic beverages are permitted to be carried in authorized cups.

When the Wheeling PODA first kicked off two weeks before Memorial Day, only two licensed establishments had completed the necessary paperwork to participate as a location that sells PODA beverages to go – The Bridge Tavern and River City.

Since then, however, participation has picked up quite a bit, with a number of licensed establishments joining as “PODA Beverages Sold Here” establishments and many more participating as “PODA Beverages Welcome Here” locations.

Licensed establishments in the PODA district that includes portions of Downtown Wheeling and Centre Market – in addition to The Bridge Tavern and River City – now also include Brew Keepers, Market Vines, Vue 42, the Capitol Theatre and WesBanco Arena.

Wheeling City Clerk Jessica Zalenski explained that a number of business owners waited to file the necessary PODA application with the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration so they could submit the paperwork along with their application for license renewal. In West Virginia, ABCA licenses – including those for liquor, wine and beer – generally expire on June 30 each year and must be renewed by July 31.

With a number of “Sold Here” locations now participating (designated by a blue decal), the city earlier this month took action to expand the operating hours of the PODA district.

“A couple of weeks back, I had some businesses reach out and say ‘PODA has been great, but we’ve had some missed opportunities on Fridays with our start time,'” said Councilman Ty Thorngate, who helped spearhead the effort to have a PODA district established in the Friendly City.

When the PODA district launched, operating hours were from 4-11 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. However, a number of business owners wished to expand the Friday hours. Legislation introduced initially moved Friday’s hours up to noon, but that, too, was tweaked to make Friday’s operating hours the same as those on the weekend.

“Originally the way the ordinance was written, it was going to have the start at 12 p.m. Friday,” Thorngate said. “But after talking with those businesses again, we felt that for consistency’s sake, it might be better to match the hours that we have for Saturday and Sunday.”

The growing list of “PODA Beverages Welcome Here” establishments (designated by a green decal) include: Outdated Threats, Puddleducks, Wildflower Coop & Garden, Ash & Tin, REStyle, Moonlight Intimate Apparel, VC Wares, Wheeling Noods Ramen Bar, Wheeling Barber Co., Cardinal Inc./Wheeling Stamp, Drizzys, Grampa Joe’s, Under the Elder Tree, Attic Picker, Centre Market House, Public Market, Shuggy’s Antiques, Metzvapes, Casa di Vino, Prodigal Daughter (inside the Artisan Center), Vocelli Pizza and Two Times Clothing & Collectibles.

Officials said the PODA has been very popular among the participating businesses in the Centre Market area, and in the downtown, River City has become a go-to PODA beverage spot for patrons visiting Heritage Port for events like Waterfront Wednesdays.

The PODA district extends from 10th Street south along the Ohio River to the area of Wheeling Creek, and then further south into Center Wheeling around the Centre Market district between Main and Market streets to 23rd Street. In the downtown area, the PODA district’s east-west borders extend from the river to Market Street between 10th Street and Wheeling Creek, and further east to Chapline Street between Lane 7 and 15th Place.

A map of the PODA district as well as a wealth of other information is available online on the city of Wheeling’s official website.

Establishments within the district that have chosen to be designated as “PODA Beverages Not Permitted Here” (designated by a red decal) include Antiques on the Market, NB Cafe and Paradox Bookstore. Officials indicated that establishments within the district that do not carry a blue “sold here” PODA decal or green “welcome here” decal should be treated the same as establishments that carry a red “not permitted here” decal.

Permit applications and information about the designated area decals can be obtained via the city’s website or by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at 304-234-6301 or by email at jessica.zalenski@wheelingwv.gov.

Once the city signs off on the application, submissions must be forwarded to the state ABCA.

A handful of other businesses have inquired about the PODA district but have yet to jump on board, officials noted. Some business owners were curious to see how things go in the wake of the initial launch of the program and will likely consider participating in the coming months.

One of those potential future participants is Waterfront Hall, which is located right across the street from Heritage Port where many summer events take place. Owner Dan Milleson of Waterfront Hall indicated that they wanted to see the new program unfold before becoming a participant, but he noted that they will likely consider applying for a license to become a “PODA Beverages Sold Here” location in the future.

“I think the PODA is especially effective and positive for Centre Market,” Milleson said. “I think the density of shops and the experience people can have in Centre Market popping around with a PODA cup is cool and it’s like the other experiences I see in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and other cities that have an open container law.”

At Waterfront Hall, however, there is not an array of participating boutique shops like there is in Centre Market, Milleson noted.

“Down here, it’s a much different experience for us, because we weren’t sure how this was going to coincide with festivals, Waterfront Wednesday … we’re kind of on an island down here,” he said. “What we wanted was a few months worth of understanding the marketplace, how our guests were going to react to us not having it, and ultimately as a long-term decision, we will be signing up for the PODA and participating in some way after the summer.”

Some special events that take place within the district are exempt from the PODA rule, city officials noted. This coming week, two major cultural festivals will take place in Wheeling either in or along the perimeter of the PODA district – the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Festival at Heritage Port and the Grecian Fest in Center Wheeling.

While Heritage Port is situated in the PODA district, certain special events like the Italian Heritage Festival have a license to sell adult beverages and can choose not to participate. In fact, the process can be somewhat complicated if a festival or special event did apply to participate as a PODA vendor.

“If a festival asks to be excluded from the PODA during their event, they are granted the exclusion,” Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said. “It is complicated if they don’t.”