The Landing curbs flow of alcohol for UF vs. UGA

The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will have fewer places to buy alcohol outdoors this year.

The Jacksonville Landing, a complex of bars and restaurants on that city's waterfront, will reduce the number of outdoor alcohol vendors during the weekend of the Florida-Georgia football game.

It will also no longer allow anyone to walk around its property selling shots of liquor, according to a plan submitted Friday to the city of Jacksonville.

"All these measures will help with the ultimate goal of improving traffic flow and keeping people safe and secure," Landing spokeswoman Rachel Nudge said.

Known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, the Florida-Georgia game has faced alcohol-related problems in recent years including the deaths of two University of Florida students. UF officials had expressed concerns about alcohol sales and other issues at the Landing in a letter sent this summer to the city of Jacksonville.

The Landing will boost the police presence in its common areas by 25 percent during the weekend of the Oct. 31 game as part of its plan. In addition to those changes, the city of Jacksonville and UF will double the number of Sideline Student Safety Zone locations where students can get help finding transportation and locating missing friends.

"We're trying to make sure everyone that comes has an enjoyable time, has a safe time," said Theresa O'Donnell Price, director of special events for the city of Jacksonville.

There will now be six locations around downtown Jacksonville during the weekend of the game. Price said the city will pay the cost of the booths, an amount that is still being determined.

Law enforcement also will be cracking down on underage drinking and enforcing occupancy limits at the Landing and other facilities to a greater extent than past years, she said.

The Florida-Georgia game attracts tens of thousands of revelers to downtown Jacksonville. Last month, a contract extension was announced that keeps the game in Jacksonville through 2016.

The game has faced alcohol-related problems in recent years. In 2004, a UF student fell to his death from a parking garage. In 2005, a UF student who was separated from his friends was beaten to death.

This summer, UF President Bernie Machen and Vice President for Student Affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin wrote Jacksonville officials outlining concerns. Machen also met with Landing officials.

UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said university officials applauded the Landing's efforts.

"We hope they continue evaluating what they do," she said. "We're all working to keep our students safe."

The changes address some, but not all, of UF's concerns. UF officials had called for an outright prohibition on the sale of shots, rather than just restricting outdoor sales. Nudge said the number of outdoor alcohol vendors will be cut in half, the amount that UF was seeking.

UF also had asked for better enforcement of alcohol laws. State Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco officials will hold training classes for all Landing employees in the week before the game, according to the plan.

In addition, vendors will be banned from selling alcohol in containers larger than 20 ounces. Nudge said they had sold alcohol in novelty containers, such as plastic footballs, that were as large as 60 ounces.

"It's just not necessary," she said. "You do not need something that large."

Other changes involve removing furniture and other items that restrict the movement of visitors. The Landing also will ban people from handing out fliers and keep people from congregating on stairs to improve safety, Nudge said.

"It's just making sure that we keep the area as free flowing and safe as we can," she said.

The Landing also will continue to provide space for one of the six safety zones. Other locations will be outside the Landing and near hotels where fans stay. One location will be open only Friday during the Rivalry Nights events at the Jacksonville stadium.

Price said the locations will help students if they're separated from friends, but students also need to plan in case such a circumstance happens.

"The message is everybody has to take responsibility for themselves," she said.

Contact Nathan Crabbe at 338-3176 or nathan.crabbe@gvillesun.com.