Club denied liquor license after comparison to Grand Central

Club Rio Grande was to be a new nightclub located in the city’s recently established entertainment district downtown, but its name and ownership ties were enough to rally opposition to kill the project.

At least temporarily. Once the Dothan City Commission voted 4-3 to deny a club liquor license on Tuesday, Mayor Pat Thomas said, “Your relief will be in circuit court.”

Thomas and commissioners Larry Matthews and Amos Newsome voted in support of the license, but the majority was swayed by the comparisons to the former Grand Central Station, a club operated on North Foster by Chuck Burch. Burch sold the business, which is now The District, but owns the building at 164 S. Foster St., where Club Rio was to open.

Burch said his only affiliation is he has made a $110,000 investment in the Club Rio building, so he retained 25 percent ownership in the club with Monica Johnson Warren, until Warren can repay for flooring and air conditioning.

Michael Prichard who runs the Featured Players Theatre at 158 S. Foster St., said this club was an attempt to relocate Grand Central and all the troubles that came with it.

“For many years, there has been a problem in downtown Dothan – a problem called Grand Central Station,” Prichard said while holding a print-out of police calls made over the last year to the club, particularly popular with young patrons and minorities.

“Now Grand Central has closed and downtown Dothan has breathed a sigh of relief. New businesses are open … that will bring people downtown. Club Rio Grande is attempting to appeal to the old patrons of Grand Central, and is not included with positive changes downtown Dothan needs right now.”

Prichard said his theatre, which caters to families, will be ruined if the club opens. “They are moving the party from North Foster to South Foster. Can downtown afford another setback?”

Warren, who also operates a club on Columbia Highway called the G-Spot, said she has never been inside Grand Central. “I am a law-abiding citizen. I know nothing about Grand Central.”

Several businesses open in the vicinity, like Blue Moon Café, had no objection to the club, even though there were a lot of names on the petition presented by Prichard.

As part of the liquor license application, Dothan Police Cpl. Brian Goguen goes door-to-door to collect opinions. While the department leaves door hangers at businesses, Goguen said a lot of people never contact the police department with any opposition.

Newsome said Warren deserves the opportunity to conduct business in the City of Dothan, just as Featured Players does.

Burch said he can’t understand the opposition, especially from businesses that only open in the daylight hours when the club is not open.

Matthews wanted to let Warren open, and close her down if there is trouble. “If they are violating the law, we can shut them down. That is an overlay district where we said we would put the clubs. We going to put them back on North Foster?”