-David Crowder, WRGA News-
The Rome Alcohol Control Commission is recommending the approval of an ordinance amendment to expand the boundaries and days of public consumption of alcohol in Downtown Rome.
In 2025, the city began allowing public consumption, mostly on Broad Street, between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“The conditions were that it was only applicable to alcoholic beverages that were purchased at one of the downtown pouring establishments,” said Rome City Clerk Joe Smith. “There is also a defined boundary. We have a map that shows where a customer could conceivably walk with that open beverage.
The ordinance amendment, if approved by the full Rome City Commission, would expand that to seven days a week.
“The same conditions are attached,” Smith said. “The product has to be purchased from a downtown pouring establishment. Additionally, there was a suggestion made to tweak that coverage area to extend up West First Street and West Second Street to include the Hampton Inn and the Days Inn. There is also a minor adjustment to include the newly constructed Floyd County amphitheatre by the library.”
There are also changes being proposed to add a couple of new areas where public consumption would be permitted.
The ordinance amendment is scheduled for a First Reading during the June 22 Rome City Commission.
