City commissioners in Miami Beach voted Wednesday to prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol after 2 a.m. in South Beach’s entertainment district from March 7 to March 21, according to the Miami Herald.
The current cut-off time for alcohol sales in the area is 5 a.m. The change applies to all businesses south of 16th Street in South Beach.
A 4-3 vote approved the change to the dismay of area nightclub operators. The business owners argued the policy would give businesses in other parts of the city an unfair advantage, according to the Herald.
“It’s just picking winners and losers. It’s wrong,” said Jimmy Resnick, the landlord for South Beach club Exchange Miami.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber believes the issue is a public safety imperative after last year’s unruly spring break crowds clashed with police and shut down major causeways.
“For the hardship it may deliver, I’m sorry,” Mr. Gelber said. “But from our point of view, going through that two-week period … is a danger to the public. It’s a proven danger to the public.”
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