A group led by the New England Farm Workers Council was granted a liquor license to take over the Stonewall Tavern, with plans to termporarily close and fix up the site.
The license for the Stonewall Tavern on Main and Gridiron Street in Springfield has been transferred to the New England Farm Workers Council.SPRINGFIELD — The License Commission, asked by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno to consider a new 1 a.m. closing hour for bars and clubs, voted Thursday to wait until Jan. 31 to conduct a public hearing on the issue.
In other action, the commission voted unanimously to transfer the liquor license at the Stonewall Tavern on Main Street – the smallest bar in Springfield – to a corporation led by the New England Farm Workers Council, which owns the adjacent Paramount Theater building. The new owners plan to temporarily close the bar, beginning in about six weeks, to allow for alterations and cleanup.
Both issues surfaced during the commission’s regular meeting at City Hall.
Some commission members, including Raymond Berry and Orlando Ramos, said they favored waiting until January to conduct the hearing on the proposed 1 a.m. closing, so they could receive more statistics on late-night night crime and have those statistics gathered over a longer period of time.
Currently, bars and clubs are allowed to stay open until 2 a.m., but must shut off the entertainment including music and television sets, at 1 a.m., unless they have a late-night entertainment permit.
The 1 a.m. entertainment curfew was imposed by Sarno in April, under the stated purpose of reducing late-night crime, improving public safety and reducing a strain on police resources. While Sarno said that early statistics show the curfew is reducing crime, critics say the curfew has hurt nightclubs, has sharply reduced revenues, and are causing patrons to bring their business to other communities.
Commission Chairman Peter L. Sygnator said that crime statistics are just one factor that should be weighed by the commission in considering the mayor’s new proposal to shut down bars at 1 a.m. citywide.
The vote was 4-1 to schedule the public hearing on Jan. 31. Commission member Robert Casey was opposed, saying he believes it would be unfair to close bars early citywide based on late-night crime statistics in the downtown.
The hearing date was approved by Sygnator, Berry, Ramos and member Denise M. Kelcey.
Regarding the Stonewall Tavern, the liquor license was granted to the Corporation at 1716 Inc., but will not be final until approved by the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
The tavern is 592 square feet, has 14 stools, and is one of the oldest licensed bars in Springfield, according to local officials.
The Corporation at 1716 Inc., which includes the Farm Workers Council and local businessman Ronald Krupke, has a purchase and sale agreement to buy the Stonewall Tavern business, and plans to lease the building from Amtrak, the owner, and make interior and exterior changes.
Heriberto Flores, president of the corporation and the Farm Workers Council, and their lawyer, Thomas J. Rooke, said they anticipate the bar will close in about six weeks, and stay closed for three or four months during alterations and clean-up. It is possible it will change to a private club with membership, Flores said.