Several Columbus businesses and bars' liquor licenses are on the line after the city attorney's office proposed its objections for the renewal of their licenses to city council.
According to City Attorney Zach Klein, this is an annual process. He said his office focuses on businesses with violent or dangerous histories and businesses that violate the law and are unwilling to change their behavior.
The city attorney's office discussed its objections during a hearing on Tuesday with Councilmember Emmanuel Remy.
Here's a list of the office's new objections:
- Beechcroft Newsstand, 1935 East Dublin Granville Road
- Doll House, 1680 Karl Court
- Platform Lounge, 1058 Country Club Road
- Queen of Hearts (former Pelican Club), 5512 East Livingston Avenue
- Speedway, 3304 East Broad Street
- Mobile Mart, 2635 West Broad Street
- Spotlight Lounge, 1662 West Mound Street
- Julep, 1014 North High Street
Here's a list of the office's renewed objections:
- Speedway, 6175 East Livingston Avenue
- Sunoco, 2725 West Broad Street
- Save Way Mini Mart, 2585 West Broad Street
- UDF, 530 South Hague Avenue
- UDF, 1680 North High Street
Klein said police have been called to the businesses on the list for homicides, shootings, stabbings, assaults, and other violent crimes.
"We single out these businesses and these bars because they are violent, dangerous places, or they're simply not complying with the law and don't want to change," Klein said.
At the hearing, there was an opportunity for public comment. One person attended to share her opinion. Representative Latyna Humphrey said she wants Queen of Hearts to lose its liquor license.
Humphrey is a close friend of 30-year-old Shamira Rhodes and 17-year-old Kha'terra Griffin. The sisters died after being shot at Queen of Hearts on Sept. 25.
"I made a commitment to Shamira's family to Kha'terra's family to make sure that I would stand up for them, that I would represent them to the best of my ability," Humphrey said.
ABC6/FOX28 stopped by Queen of Hearts on Tuesday and it was closed.
"These places rise to a level where they're the dangerousness, and the activity that goes on there jeopardizes not only the public safety of the patrons, but the public safety of the businesses that operate around it, and also the neighborhoods that they operate in," Klein said.
Another business on the list is Julep in the Short North. On Sept. 5 outside the bar, two men severely beat a popular bartender and father, Greg Coleman, Jr. Coleman died from his injuries.
"No employees from Julep rendered aid or called 9-1-1, and the victim was found 10, 15, 20 minutes later by a passerby, where we're summoned," a Columbus Police sergeant at Tuesday's hearing said. "Employees and security then obstructed the subsequent homicide investigation."
ABC6/FOX28 spoke with Julep's owner. He said he'll be providing a written statement to ABC6/FOX28. We will add his statement to this story once it's received.
ABC6/FOX28 also spoke with the lawyer for Doll House, and he said he does not have a comment at this time about the business being on the city attorney's list.
Business owners, customers, and anyone from the general public could share their openings at the hearing. Humprey was the only person who spoke at the meeting. Remy said he received two written testimonies. The written testimonies were not read at the meeting.
Remy asked the assistant city attorney, who presented the reasoning behind the office's objections, if the office notified each business about Tuesday's hearing.
"I admittedly did not, we did not individually go and say hey you’ve got a hearing tonight, and you’re being objected against," Assistant City Attorney Sarah Pomeroy said. "I will say a lot of the liquor-permitted establishments in the city are represented by the same handful of attorneys who I’m in pretty regular communication with."
The hearing was the first step in the process. Next, council members will vote on whether to object each business's liquor license renewal. Pomeroy said that vote will happen on Dec. 5. Then, the city attorney's office brings its cases to the State Liquor Commission. The State Liquor Commission will make its final decision likely in 2023, according to Klein.