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Redwood City could allow people to sip beer and wine along part of Broadway come summer, should the council approve a proposed city downtown entertainment zone.
At a special meeting on Monday, council members voted unanimously to introduce an ordinance that would allow for the outdoor consumption of alcoholic beverages within defined boundaries and hours at the Broadway Pedestrian Mall. Vice Mayor Kaia Eakin and Council member Diane Howard were absent for the vote.
“The opportunity to add a little joy and whimsy into our events in downtown and throughout our city is really appealing,” said Council member Isabella Chu. “So that was sort of the thinking behind this initiative.”
The proposed zone would cover the 2000 block of Broadway between Jefferson Avenue and Main Street, along with the section of Redwood Creek between Broadway and the Main Street parking lot. The area was chosen because the street is already closed to traffic, has defined entry and exit points, and because there’s a strong concentration of restaurants and bars that could participate, said Jennifer Yamaguma, the deputy city manager.
“In practice, cities are using this during events and high activity periods,” Yamaguma added, regarding the implementation of entertainment zones in other jurisdictions. “The goal is really to increase foot traffic to support businesses and enhance the overall experience for those that are in the entertainment zone.”
The zone would only be active when the city “turns it on,” Yamaguma said. Activations would be tied to city-sponsored events or gatherings, with hours not to exceed 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
No outside alcohol would be allowed in the zone. Drinks would have to be purchased from a participating business within the zone and served in city-approved non-glass, non-metal containers, as required by state law.
“The key takeaway is that it’s a controlled, flexible tool,” Yamaguma noted. “The City retains authority over activation, conditions and operations, and we can refine it over time based on our experience.”
For the initial launch, only beer and wine will be permitted, as those beverages are “generally associated with lower levels of intoxication,” Yamaguma said. All activations would include a public safety plan coordinated with the police and fire departments.
City staff proposes limiting the start of this entertainment zone to up to three activations, each lasting up to three hours, over the first three to four months. These initial activations would aim to avoid overlap with other city events.
In the future, though, Yamaguma said the city could consider third-party activations organized by groups other than the city and aims to explore cost-recovery options, vendor partnerships, merchandise sales and whether to allow hard liquor.
While state law requires entertainment zones to be evaluated every two years, Yamaguma said the city would be monitoring economic activity more frequently, with the goal to “test, learn and refine as we go along.”
The proposed ordinance is based on Senate Bill 969, adopted in 2024, which allows patrons to buy alcohol from participating businesses and consume it within a defined public space, with controlled entry and exit points. At least one participating business must be licensed with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and compliant with state law and city guidelines.
The city’s Ad Hoc Committee on Special Events, comprised of Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos, Council member Marcella Padilla and Chu, recommended the zone’s framework and operational approach at its April 29 meeting.
“When these warm months come, people want to be outside,” Padilla said. “They don’t want to rush to finish their drink.”
The mayor chimed in at the Monday meeting.
“This an opportunity for everybody to be able to partake in the [FIFA] World Cup celebrations,” he said. “It shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to be able to watch the most popular tournament in the world.”
Council member Jeff Gee raised concerns about defaulting to paper cups, as “a good glass of wine doesn’t taste very good in a paper cup.” Yamaguma responded that the city is looking into sugar cane cups as an alternative, while Gee recommended compostable cups.
Council member Chris Sturken recommended that staff look into creating kid-friendly spaces in these activation zones, with life-size games for the public to play.
While there’s no cost to the city to adopt the ordinance, the “back of the napkin estimate” for a two-hour period is around $5,000, Yamaguma said. She said the estimate is on the higher end and that there have been conversations about leveraging community service officers and volunteers to bring down costs.
The ordinance is scheduled to return to the council again on May 11 for adoption, and if approved, it would take effect in June, just in time for summer events and the FIFA World Cup.
