“It needs to be done in a way where we’re mitigating challenges instead of creating them.”
-- David Barilla
Downtown Orlando is returning to its normal operations this weekend, with liquor pouring after midnight and patrons allowed to keep the party going until 2 a.m. But next week, city leaders are rolling out their latest plan to rein in the street party they blame for violent crime.
Mayor Buddy Dyer ended downtown’s state of emergency Thursday, lifting a 1 a.m. curfew and late-night alcohol ban a day earlier than his initial week-long order. Dyer had announced the emergency last Friday after a gunman opened fire on Orange Avenue, killing two and wounding seven more who were downtown for Halloween festivities.
“The goal being that the folks that are coming downtown…to patronize our businesses, have a good time and go home safely,” said David Barilla, the executive director of the Community Redevelopment Agency and Downtown Development Board. “And those who are coming to hang out downtown in our streets…no longer have the space to do that.”
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