(7-12-22) At last night’s St. Marys City Council meeting several items were discussed.

Members discussed an ordinance which would allow for the issuance of a $12 million dollar bond for the construction of a new municipal building at 101 West Spring Street in St. Marys, an adjacent parking lot, and a new park across the street near Skip Baughman Stadium. $10.5 million dollars would go toward the new building, $500,000 dollars toward the parking lot and the remaining 1 million dollars for furniture and fixtures.

Construction, if approved, could be finished between the Fall of 2023 and Summer of 2024.

Council members also discussed a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) within the city. Last year, the St. Marys Area Resource Team, SMART, brought the idea to the city of implementing DORA within the downtown region following a stagnant period.

What is DORA?

A Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) is a specific area in which alcoholic beverages may be sold by licensed liquor establishments for outdoor consumption. The DORA is designed to make it easier to social distance, stroll within the district and support local restaurants and bars.

Numerous communities in Ohio already have DORA in place, including Celina, Greenville, Wapakoneta, Van Wert and St. Marys in the Stateline area.


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