Columbus drops liquor license objection against Jack’s Corner Pub

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — One hurdle has been cleared for anyone who wants to take over a former Columbus bar facing a nuisance lawsuit.

The liquor license objection against Jack’s Corner Pub, an Old North area bar, has been thrown out after a Columbus City Council vote on Monday. Previously, the bar was forced to close after losing its liquor license and facing a nuisance abatement lawsuit because of a series of violent incidents that occurred at the bar, including a fatal shooting in July.

“Jack’s is not going to open anytime soon under its current iteration or with the current ownership group,” Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said.

In September, Klein filed the lawsuit against Jack’s. Klein said the liquor license objection was discarded because the current owner agreed to close indefinitely, making the objection moot. The nuisance abatement lawsuit against the property is still pending, and any future owners would have to deal with that, but the removal of the liquor license objection clears one roadblock facing potential new owners.

Klein said the property’s liquor license is now being held in safekeeping. If new owners were to purchase Jack’s, they would have the opportunity to get the license. However, the nuisance abatement lawsuit would follow the property until it was resolved. He said he hopes potential buyers won’t be deterred from purchasing the building.

“We need to have fun, safe places for people to go,” Klein said. “It adds to the fabric of the excitement of our cities. We’ll continue to promote diverse, fun, economic, exciting and safe environment for the city of Columbus.”

Pointing to Jack’s as one of the “bad actors,” Klein celebrated the pub’s closure as a win for the city.

“[Jack’s] was a bad place for the community,” Klein said. “You talk to the neighbors out there. They struggled for a long time with the violence that emanated from Jack’s.”

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