During a recent Peoria City Council meeting, the council had planned to deny the liquor license application for Empire Lounge. However, Councilmember Denise Jackson decided to take the item off the consent agenda and instead proposed a 30-day deferral. This move was made in order to allow members of the Wardcliffe Neighborhood Association to visit Empire Lounge before a final decision was made.
Located at 3033 N. Sterling Avenue, Empire Lounge had applied for a liquor license for the third time with the city of Peoria. Previous applications had been denied due to opposition from nearby neighborhood associations such as the Wardcliffe Neighborhood Association and Forrest Hill Neighborhood Association.
Despite the Peoria Liquor Commission recommending denial of Empire Lounge’s application due to allegations from the Peoria Police Department, specific details about these allegations were not discussed during the council meeting. The police department had claimed that Empire Lounge was serving alcohol without a license, while the Peoria Fire Department raised concerns about the business operating without a certificate of occupancy.
The decision to defer the item for 30 days was made in order to allow further investigation and discussions. The Wardcliffe Neighborhood Association had agreed to hold their next meeting at Empire Lounge, prompting the council to wait until after that meeting to make a final decision on whether or not to approve or deny Empire Lounge’s liquor license application.
