Riley Eubanks
The State Journal-Register
There’s a possibility new liquor licenses could be issued allowing Springfield bars to stay open until 3 a.m. But don’t expect it to happen anytime soon, according to the mayor.
Springfield City Council Tuesday voted 5-4 against a proposed amendment that would have prevented the city from issuing any new liquor licenses allowing bars to stay open past a 1 a.m. closing time. The amendment would have codified an existing moratorium by Mayor Jim Langfelder, who doubles as the city’s liquor commissioner.
There hasn’t been a new liquor license allowing a bar to stay open until 3 a.m. since The Wet Bar was given one in October 2015 and Langfelder has had a self-imposed mortarium on issuing such licenses since 2018 when that bar’s license was suspended. Debate over the safety and practicability of allowing bars to stay open so late has remerged after Dirty South Lounge had its liquor license suspendedfollowing a non-fatal shooting at the bar at about 3 a.m. on Sept. 19.
A special hearing of the city’s Liquor Control Commission has been scheduled for Oct. 19 to address the suspension of Dirty South Lounge’s liquor license.
SPD assistant chief Ken Scarlette said the department regularly dedicates around 10 officers to handle calls from bars at closing time but that number varies by night.
“When we’re talking about private security for these establishments, we’ve got to understand they can handle certain situations. They can’t handle the big ones,” said Ward 1 Ald. Chuck Redpath. “Our police officers are always going to be there, they’re going to have to sit outside and wait until this thing spills into the streets, which it will, and it’s going to be a situation where police officers are tied up at one scene and they’re not out in Ward 6. They’re not out in Ward 10. They’re not out in Ward 1. They’re tied up in the situation where the city is not covered.”
Redpath joined Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, Ward 9 Ald. Jim Donelanand Hanauer in voting in favor of the proposal. Ward 4 Ald. John Fulgenzi abstained.
The proposal would have grandfathered in the 11 active liquor licenses that allow bars to be open until 3 a.m. and would have allowed those licenses to be traded. Mike Monseur, speaking on behalf of the Central Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, said the association had a meeting Monday about the proposal and to his surprise many members were in favor of it.
Other actions taken by the council included:
- A conditional extension of the South Central Business District’s designation contingent on the possible development of a multi-million dollar sports complex by Virginia-based Legacy Park Sports LLC. McMenamin was the lone dissenter, citing his long-term belief that the possible development project is getting too many tax subsidies.
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Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 