"I think under the right circumstances and the right places, the 4:00 am license can work."
The City of Covington considers keeping the bars open until 4:00 in the morning. Tuesday night, the people get a chance to speak out. People who want the last say on 'last call' will pack Covington's Commission Chambers. A new club and restaurant under construction has asked the city to let it stay open until 4:00 am, an hour- and-a-half later than the current closing time. The city is considering it, but may not give the same option to existing bars. Local 12's Joe Webb explores late night Covington.
For decades the buildings on Covington's Fourth Street were home to a tool company and a Studebaker dealer. Now a Norwood restaurant group wants to turn it into Jump05, an upscale mix of sushi bar, fine dining and nightclub. Jump wants to jump until four in the morning on Fridays and Saturdays. That's in the hands of Covington's City Commission. The City Manager is okay with it. "There are no really close residences. It's a main arterial highway. There's going to be parking available, valet. And it's going to be an upscale restaurant that brings the type of people we want into our community." Fossett says if the City Commission okays 4 am closing, it won't be just for Jump. A later-night district close to the Convention Center is most likely. The Jump developer wouldn't talk to us Tuesday, but he has talked to the people living around the project. As a group, they are, surprisingly, for the later closing.
Even more surprisingly, the biggest organized opposition is from bar owners. Covington's Mainstrasse Village is the city's biggest entertainment district. Because it is a mix of homes, shops, and clubs, bar owners here don't believe they'll have the 4 am option.
Craig Johnson, C*ck and Bull English Pub: "We feel its unfair to the existing bars and restaurants in Covington. We've made a lot of investment ourselves. We've made Covington attractive for people like JUMP to come in and so we feel it's a little unfair."
Tuesday night, anyone can weigh in on last call. Jump is set to open later this year regardless of when it has to close. In Covington, Joe Webb Local 12.
The public hearing is at 6:30 in Covington's City Commission Chambers. They're located on Seventh Street between Madison and Scott.