Business is booming in this Lake Norman town’s social district. But is it safe?

In March 2022, Cornelius became one of the first Charlotte-area towns to create a social district, a move that allows people to bring purchased drinks from businesses outdoors in predetermined boundaries.

Social districts are possible due to House Bill 890, a measure allowing cities and counties to define outdoor spaces where people can legally drink alcoholic beverages bought from a state-permitted business.

The social district in Cornelius extends from Thigs Cocktail Bar to the Cain Center For the Arts on Catawba Avenue, Cornelius Town Commissioner Denis Bilodeau said, adding that the district has made the downtown area more walkable and increased foot traffic at local businesses.

“In our downtown, we certainly could use the added boost and have folks feel like they can walk from one location to the next,” Bilodeau said. “We’d like to make an incentive for individuals to explore our downtown.”

The original boundaries of the social district were extended Jan. 3 to encompass the sidewalk by the recently opened Cain Center.

Is the social district safe?

When plans for a social district in Cornelius were being discussed, most residents were in favor of them – but a few were concerned about the possibility of disorderly conduct resulting from patrons carrying their drinks with them, Bilodeau said.

“There were some folks that were speculating the worst,” Bilodeau said. “They thought folks would be unruly.”

In Waynesville, a western North Carolina town 30 miles southwest of Asheville, residents were also concerned about public intoxication, as well as underage drinking when debating the idea of a social district, The Mountaineer reported.

But so far, there haven’t been any reported incidents in the Cornelius social district, Bilodeau said, noting that safety lights and a crosswalk have been added to make the street more pedestrian friendly.

The Cornelius Police Department is adjacent to the social district, which makes it easier for officers to monitor the area, Bilodeau said.

Future plans

Due to its success, Bilodeau said the Cornelius Town Board plans to extend the boundaries of the social district as part of the town’s Comprehensive Master Plan, and turn Catawba Avenue into a “festival street” for events.

“We’re getting requests now to extend the area,” Bilodeau said. “We’re taking it slow and monitoring the safety of it. As other businesses move to the downtown area, I think there will be a good case for extending what we already have.”

Charlotte Observer reporter Genna Contino contributed to this story.