COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Columbus City Council approved the proposed Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, for the Arena District during its meeting Monday night.

The plan would allow the public to purchase alcoholic beverages at participating bars, restaurants, and vendors and carry them outdoors, in specific biodegradable cups, within the designated area when the DORA is operational.

The DORA is approved to run along Nationwide Boulevard, from just east of Nationwide Arena to just west of Lower.com Field. Parts of it will branch off Nationwide Boulevard.

“I’ve been saying all along, I think this is a part of the culmination of being a vibrant, growing city,” said Columbus City Councilmember Emmanuel Remy.

According to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, that agency will need to issue a permit for the DORA to operate. A spokesperson for the division says it could take a couple of weeks for that to happen.

Remy said the DORA could be operational around Labor Day.

Once the permit is issued, the DORA will be open on days the Columbus Clippers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Columbus Crew play at home, from three hours before game time, until 11:59 p.m. The DORA may also operate during special events.

The original proposal for the DORA was amended to exclude McFerson Commons Park and other areas south of Nationwide Arena, after neighbors voiced concern about the area in those locations.