Proposal to end 3 a.m. liquor sales in Springfield takes step forward

Owners of some of the city's favorite drinking spots packed the Springfield City Council chambers Tuesday, voicing their opposition to an ordinance which would amend closing time from 3 a.m. to 1 a.m. for bars which hold such a license.

The conversation was on risk mitigation at the Committee of the Whole meeting, where alderpersons voted to put the ordinance on the debate agenda.

Ordinance 2024-231, which would amend chapter 90, article III of the 1988 city code surrounding the fees and hours of operation for liquor licenses and permits in the city, was read at Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting before the alderman for the first time.

Ward 5 Ald. Lakeisha Purchase and Ward 8 Ald. Erin Conely weren't in attendance for the meeting as city council members listened to vocal members of the late-night venue scene of Springfield who said the restriction of hours would affect sales and livelihoods.

“I’ve worked in Springfield nightlife for over 25 years, which has allowed me to financially be responsible for my family,” DJ and bartender Chad Westbrook said. “Hopefully, our city council can decide to not go through with this amendment to take away 3 a.m. licenses. Our city, I think, needs to address certain individual bar owners that may have problems or issues in their establishments that our council is coming to the conclusion that we all need to be punished for it.”

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'It's going to cripple our business'

Affected bars would be The Alamo on North 5th Street, The Gin Mill on South 5th Street, Clique on East Washington Street, Bourbon Street Rhythm & Ribs on South Grand Avenue, Celtic Mist on South 7th Street and Unique’s Bar & Grill on East Cook Street. The listed bars all either operate with a sub-class license for 3 a.m. or a Class F license.

The cost of registering a 3 a.m. liquor license with the city is $1,750 compared to the cost of a 1 a.m. license of $900-$1,000 which must be renewed annually.

Clique co-owner Josh Delcour said 40% to 55% of the bar's revenue is made from 1 to 3 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

“For us, it hits a little personal because we did purchase a business just to be able to have a 3 a.m. license,” Delcour said. “To possibly lose our 1 to 3 a.m. business on Thursday, Friday and Saturday … It is going to cripple our business and our future business plans that we have.”

The Wyndham City Centre and the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel on East Adams, the Crowne Plaza Springfield on South Dirksen Parkway, the State House Inn on East Adams and the Hilton Garden Inn on South Dirksen would not be able to renew their Class K 3 a.m. license.

More: 3 a.m. liquor sales coming to an end at Sangamon County bars this summer

Mitigating risk

The proposal in Springfield would mirror that of Sangamon County which is requiring bars in county limits to end liquor sales at 1 a.m. at the end of the month.

Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette said the city's proposal would allow the city and county to be in lockstep with one another.

“We’re trying to mitigate risk here,” Scarlette told The State Journal-Register earlier this week. “We're not eliminating risk. Obviously, reducing from 3 a.m. to 1 a.m. is not going eliminate all calls for service. Our goal is to be efficient in the operation we do on a daily basis and if there are ways to mitigate risks and reduce risks then that's what we should be doing.”

Scarlette said he has one goal in mind when it comes the ordinance.

“My goal again is the safety of all of our citizens. I see why the county changed their liquor license,” Scarlette said.

If the Springfield ordinance is passed June 18, the changes won’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2025, when the renewal period is up for liquor licenses.

Steven Spearie contributed to this article.

Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. She can be reached at [email protected]; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield is one step closer to ending 3 a.m. alcohol sales