Stock photo and blog post by John HoffWord comes via a neighborhood listserv that the full City Council voted this morning and has denied a liquor license at Washington & Broadway in the proposed "Land Ho" development.
Previous information about the license being APPROVED, click here, was apparently not the final word.
JNS blog anticipates neighbors will be ecstatic. The fact competitor Merwin Liquors will also be ecstatic is the only fly in our revitalization ointment or, in this case, a worm in our tequila.
On another, more quirky note: the planned development at the strip club is known as "Land Ho?" Seriously?!
(Do Not Click "Read More")
Previous information about the license being APPROVED, click here, was apparently not the final word.
JNS blog anticipates neighbors will be ecstatic. The fact competitor Merwin Liquors will also be ecstatic is the only fly in our revitalization ointment or, in this case, a worm in our tequila.
On another, more quirky note: the planned development at the strip club is known as "Land Ho?" Seriously?!
(Do Not Click "Read More")
15 comments:
This is great. There are too many drunks and people who glamorize alcohol in NoMi.
Now if we could just drive the other bars and liquor stores out of here some real revitalization might get done.
What? Is Anonyous stuck in the 1920's or something?
Just think about your own 12 step and leave us out.
Anony. 6:26 PM
Your logic sounds just like Sarah Palin's when she farts into her Twitter account.
FF,
So this is a bad thing that this booze peddler got denied a license?
You are probably the type of person that supports the war on drugs but gets defensive when people start talking about limiting access to booze.
Look around you, alcohol causes this community more problems than L3SO's or crack cocaine ever could.
And don't think another liquor store is somehow a good thing if it also sells overpriced cheese and doesn't sell fortified wine.
Hypocrites.
626.
You almost confused me there with your logic as well. I find your correlation between my unflattering remark regarding Sarah Palin's intelligence and your presupposed idea that I support the "war on drugs" fascinating.
Nope, I'm a guy who would like to see the US consider aspects of Portugal's approach to drug policy, or at least aspects similar to those policies of the Netherlands and other Western European countries.
Here's a good link for you to look at. I think you'll also agree with at least some of the data presented.
http://www.cato.org/pubs/wtpapers/greenwald_whitepaper.pdf
Let's face it friend, people like to drink and perhaps use drugs. Revitalization in NoMi is the idea here. If we implement aspects found in this CATO study, we'd see a decreased level of street-gang drug dealing (which is a major revenue generator for them). And having a respectable bar in which may be a destination point for folks is a good way for people to be introduced to the neighborhood if they aren't from here, and also for those already in the neighborhood to congregate at, it's that simple.
Also, if you'd be so kind as to provide a reference and/or statistics for your statement, "alcohol causes this community more problems than L3SO's or crack cocaine ever could.", that would be appreciated. I don't care much for people farting into the ether as you're obviously already aware. Thanks.
With a classy name like "Gopher 94" this place was sure to attract a real upscale crowd!
It seems strange to me to not grant a liquor license for a major investment that would turn a dive bar, a run down old building with underground pollution issues, into a new building that would look nice at the corner of this busy intersection. The current place sells alcohol and the new place would clean up underground pollution issues and also sell alcohol. You would have a owner with a lot more investment with a new establishment instead of an owner who wants out and probably won't invest anything into making this site look nicer and draw better clientel to the area. The vote was essentially a vote to keep a run down strip club in operation rather than provide a new vibrant business to the area.
Whatever goes into that complex will be relatively "classed-up". If you look at the location and other efforts all the way up Washington Ave. from the Warehouse Dist. it is evident that all of the condos., and now Target Field are having an impact in the North Loop. If Light Rail continues to move north, that stretch is sure to take-off even faster.
Plus, even if a bar or liquor store had went in there, I'm sure it wouldn't have been the cheapest place in the area, nor domestic, i.e., domestic products. Yuppies need a place too 'ya know. It's not always about elitist thug-huggers all the time.
Anon 8:27, you're not thinking long term. In fact, you're not really even thinking short term, because most people who know the area well have already predicted that no matter how nice the place is initially, it will be only a short period of time before it becomes another hot spot for drunks and troublemakers. An overabundance of liquor stores is what has helped to get Nomi the bad reputation that people are trying to work against right now. I'm not opposed to drinking in general, but around here the results of abusing alcohol are all too prevalent.
We get one shot at this project, and when we see a plan that looks destined for failure, of course people are going to put the brakes on it. In this case, it's not just destined for failure, but the nature of the business itself is such that it will contribute to dragging down the most vulnerable people in North with it. We don't need another liquor store; especially when the new proprietor is trying to sell it to the community by saying it will be upscale and maintain standards, yet has nothing in writing or any stopguards in place to assure that they will stick to that promise. Northsiders have learned a thing or two over the years about developers coming in with great promises only to exploit the area and leave us with an eyesore or a hotspot for crime instead of the glorious economic boost they promised -look no further than what's become of Hawthorne crossings to see an example of that. The Northside community knows what it needs, and it certainly isn't another liquor store or more drunk people stumbling around our streets as a result of it.
Anonymous 2:02 hit it right on the nose with their comment. It leaves little left to be said....wish it was that easy. The owner of Merwin jumps with joy as do the owners of Mickey's and B.L.O. They are all spaced far enough apart and they have all been in their respective spots for quite sometime. I would say at least the community is familiar with these establishments and the patterns of behavior that accompanies each specific area. With that said, another liquor store was not necessary and the board voted that way. I am sure that a decent business that is more oriented for different tastes will succeed just fine. Let us all hope that it will be based on the type of shops that exist in the Global Market Village on Lake Street. Something for everyone. Good Day.
Funny how someone with a pseudonym criticizes the anonymous.
I'm increasingly convinced that "boathead" isn't a real person but rather a sock puppet of one of the self anointed "revitalizers".
Not that I expect this comment to be published, I just want you to know that I know.
Y'all seem to forget that NOMI's boundaries extend much further north than 26th. There's Union Liquor at Penn & Lowry and Camdn Liquors at 42nd & Lyndale, too. We absolutely don't need another liquor store. How about a nice grocery / deli. We miss Kowalski's.
Boathead, that would be so awesome to have a northside version of the global market in the Midtown old Sears building. *Wishing* *Hoping*
I'm ultimately glad this liquor license got denied, as much as I'd like to see BJ's wiped off the face of the Earth, I'm seeking patience and reminding myself ultimately something better will come along than "Gopher 94".
And I gotta give a plug to BLO, if we have to have liquor stores, they should all be like BLO, at least they try to hold the line on some dignity and respect for our community. I heart BLO. Love their wine section and love the vintage look they held on to when they remodeled a few years ago. Thanks, Dean and crew!
License holder courses are obtainable in a number of diverse forms. There has in fact been a new augment in their ease of use online, where individuals access all their training needs online, at the same time as still taking their exam under constrained test conditions. The need for the aptitude is to guarantee license holders are conscious of the licensing laws and the wider social responsibilities appended to the sale of alcohol. A personal license course must be taken by anyone functioning in licensed premises, or any location or site where alcohol is put up for sale, and they are in a situation where they will sanction the sales of alcohol to the public.
I am publishing the comment above, even though I consider it spam, because at least it's spam very specific to the content of the blog post and has actually achieved the level of legitimate commentary.
Congrats, spammer. You are the rarest of the rare.
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