New signage to indicate boundaries of Gainesville’s ACE Districts

Published on August 16, 2024

In time for the return of college students and sports fans to the area, the City of Gainesville is installing new signs along streets in its two Arts, Culture and Entertainment (ACE) Districts where open containers of alcohol are permitted between 8 a.m. and midnight daily.

These “sip and stroll areas” are located where there are high concentrations of bars, restaurants and entertainment venues.

• The Downtown ACE District encompasses a section roughly bordered by NE 2nd Avenue to the north, NE 3rd Street to the east, SW 6th Street to the west, and south to Depot Avenue that includes Bo Diddley Plaza and Depot Park.
• The Grove Street ACE District is an area between NW 2nd Street and NW 4th Street, bordered to the north by NW 12th Avenue and to the south by NW 8th Avenue. This district excludes a mostly residential area north of the 6th Street Rail Trail.

Although the municipal parking garage on SW 3rd Street and some public parking lots are located within district boundaries, open containers of alcohol are prohibited in those areas.

At the start of 2024, open container restrictions resumed for most of Gainesville. The rules prohibit individuals from drinking or having open containers of alcohol on public property in most areas of the city. The only exceptions are within the ACE Districts where open containers are permitted on sidewalks, in public parks or other public rights-of-way from 8 a.m. to midnight daily.

Gainesville Police Department officers can issue either civil citations or criminal infractions to those found in violation of the ordinances. If there is drunken, unsafe or disorderly behavior, police may impose stiffer criminal penalties.