The Clarksville Town Council could vote soon on a development district that would make it easier for Origin Park businesses to get liquor licenses.
Creation of the Origin Park Riverfront Development District is expected to be on the council’s next meeting agenda in early October. Such districts help promote growth in areas that need redevelopment.
This development district would include part of Origin Park, an endeavor to reclaim nature and celebrate the Ohio River. The park will include an events center, slated to open in the spring, and a whitewater facility within an adventure park.
Dennis Schnurbusch is CEO at River Heritage Conservancy, the nonprofit responsible for buildout of the park. He told the council at a recent work session that revenue from catering and alcohol sales will help the park succeed financially.
The property within the proposed development district is almost all owned by or under contract with River Heritage or owned by the town.
Town Manager Kevin Baity told LPM News that approval of the development district would create more available liquor licenses for businesses in and around Origin Park.
This would make it possible for business owners to get a liquor license without having to go through the “black market.”
The state of Indiana only issues a certain number of liquor permits per municipality. If a business closes, the owner can still hold a permit and name their price for selling to a new operator.
“If somebody goes out of business, they keep that license,” Baity said. “They don't have to surrender it back to the state, and they then can sell that license.”
A list of transfer sale prices for permits across the state as of July 1 provided by Gibson shows one permit for package alcohol sales in Clarksville sold for more than $500,000.
The new district would have five liquor licenses, a number set by the town, Clarksville Economic Development Director Tammi Gibson told LPM News.
If the district is established, a business seeking a license will apply with the town. Approved applications will be sent on to the state for final approval.
Operators will have to renew the license every year, and they can’t hang onto them if the business closes.
“This gives the town a broader availability of giving out liquor licenses within a certain area,” Gibson told the council at the work session. “Right now, if you check with Clarksville, there's maybe slim-to-none available.”
Clarksville Town Council President Ryan Ramsey said he thinks the district would also help the town’s redevelopment efforts in South Clarksville, where officials are working to build out a new downtown.
Gibson said this development district aligns with the state’s support of riverfront improvements.
Origin Park is a more than 400-acre project in Clarksville that includes reclaiming land, like old landfills and junkyards, and conserving natural areas.
Ramsey said he hopes the park will be a regional draw, bringing in new tourism opportunities.
“It will be interesting to see how quickly things develop,” Ramsey said. “But I think things are…going to happen faster than what any of us had ever hoped.”
If the council approves the ordinance creating the district, it will move to the Clarksville Redevelopment Commission in late October.
Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County.
