Road Closed? Has Avenue Gone Bye-Bye?

did Avenue have a nightclub license?

Posted By richard r. / At 11/9/08 8:23 PM

Hopefully they didn't update their ABRA license when they changed the name of the club ... that will get them shutdown for a while

Posted By RobA / At 11/10/08 7:34 AM

Abdul from one of the big clubs on F Street is taking over Avenue. They have spent the last 6 weeks completely reworking the space. I haven't been inside, but judging from the number of workers and material coming through, it should be a significantly changed space. Abdul says he hopes to reopen on Thanksgiving weekend. I'm not sure about the liquor license.

Posted By Paul Ruppert / At 11/10/08 7:37 AM

Thanks for the info, Paul. According to ABRA records, the license (No. 71743) is in the name of Arm, LLC, d/b/a Avenue. They have a Class CN (nightclub) license. It is in ANC 2C03 (incoming Commissioner Theresa Sule). I believe the license was just recently renewed for another 3-year term. I don't believe that a change in ownership reopens the license to community comment unless they are proposing a substantial change in operations. MVSNA does not have a voluntary agreement with the license holder. In any event, we should reach out to the new owner/operator for more information and to open a dialogue.

FYI, Abdul Productions was the license holder of Bounce/Platnum on F Street, both of which were closed by the DC government. I'm not saying that this precludes them from operating a positive establishment in MVS, but that we ought to watch carefully.

http://www.examiner.com/a-1655911~DC_closes_downtown_teen_nightclub.html
http://www.chappleanc.com/public/index.php/2008/10/24/mayor_closes_club_bounce_platinum_in_gal
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/24/AR2008102402901_pf.html
http://pqliving.com/?p=2754
http://dcist.com/2008/10/25/club_bounce_shuttered_by_dc_governm.php

Posted By Cary Silverman / At 11/10/08 8:15 AM

Cary, a while back, ABRA closed down Dakota Cowgirl because the name of the club no longer matched the name on the license. (It was Titan changed to Ramrod). Shouldn't that same regulation apply here? If they are moving a liquor license to this location, then the community does indeed have a rigth to comment on the move of the license ... I went through this when trying to get Club 55 moved off Bladensburg Road last year.

Posted By RobA / At 11/10/08 9:17 AM

2C03 is Commissioner Doris Brooks who cares about little or nothing. The traffic chaos of this past week is nothing to her. as a matter of fact i doubt she was even aware of the problems.

so a nightclub can relocate over 4 blocks from the location listed on the license and just open as a matter of right? what about the rights of the neighborhood residents?

Posted By richard r / At 11/10/08 10:08 AM

Based on the comments here it sounds like some people want to deny the new club a liquor license before they even open their doors. I am of the opinion that the area along NY Ave is a perfect place for entertainment venues of all types. If there are specific problems with a bar or club, lets see if we can address those problems rather than trying to prevent them from opening in the first place. A period of public comment is always good though so that the owners can know the neighbors concers and try to mitigate them.

Posted By Mike / At 11/10/08 10:10 AM

Sorry Mike, but it all has to do with playing by the same rules and everyone following the same protocols. Avenue has a record of crime/trouble in the area and the neighborhood must have its say so BEFORE they are given the green light to just move in without due process.

Posted By RobA / At 11/10/08 10:27 AM

i like due process that starts with mutual respect; not chaos after the fact

Posted By richard r / At 11/10/08 11:05 AM

I for one hopes that when it re-opens the riff-raff is dealt with in a better fashion. Between the gunfights, stabbings, and apparently gay-bashing and most recent gay-bashing's, maybe staying making it harder for them to get their license. It seems like there is always some crap around that building anyways.

Posted By scb / At 11/10/08 1:04 PM

Ok..my last post made no sense: I for one, hope that when it re-opens, the "riff - raff" is dealt with in a better fashion. Between the shooting (not gunfight), stabbings, and apparently as of late gay-bashing's occurring, maybe making it difficult for them to get this license isn't such a bad thing. I think the neighborhood needs to get involved with this a bit more, before these doors fling open and with it, the reintroduction of crime.

Posted By scb / At 11/10/08 1:07 PM

maybe they'll have a grand opening like Avenue had where the local bigshots sucked up the free booze then never went back again.

Posted By richard r / At 11/10/08 1:12 PM

Richard you are right, this is Commissioner Doris Brooks' SMD, not Theresa Sule, my mistake. There is some question as to Abdul Productions is actually taking over Avenue, the license does not indicate it. It's being looked into.

Rob, I'm not sure of the answers to your questions. My instinct is that if an owner is moving a license to a new location, there would be some process. However, if they bought a current license, Avenue's (ARM, LLC), then they get to continue operating under the conditions of that license without any community input less they request a substantial change until the license comes up for renewal. This is one of the primary reasons that communities enter into voluntary agreements - because a license can sell its license to someone else and a business that was fine when it opened can turn into something different unless there is an agreement that requires some communication or hearing, or places some bounds on the nature of the operation. No clue as to what is required for a name change and if it is more than paperwork.

Posted By Cary Silverman / At 11/10/08 3:49 PM

The Lux Lounge website states they will have a preview on November 26.

Posted By Betsy / At 11/23/08 9:18 AM