Owner abandons project, city moves to revoke liquor license
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
A plan to renovate a long vacant property on Milwaukee Avenue into the first duckpin bowling alley in Burlington was scrapped, according to city officials, who told the Common Council Tuesday the owner has abandoned the project.
As a result, the Common Council decided to revoke the Class B combination liquor license, issued last August contingent on the proposed business opening within 4 to 6 months.
City Attorney John Bjelejac, who reviewed the license, found the revocation acceptable from a procedural standpoint.
“I am fine procedurally with this,” Bjelejac said.
Meanwhile, before the Common Council approved the revocation, District 3 Alderman Jon Schultz questioned whether the plan to transform the former Coach’s Sports Bar is dead.
“That project is dead, right?” asked Schultz, as some members of the Common Council nodded.
The project involved transforming the property, which has sat vacant since 2011, into a duckpin bowling center equipped with six lanes, a sports bar and a pizzeria restaurant.
Plans scrapped
Matthew Allen, who was not present at Tuesday’s meeting, presented the plan before the Common Council in July.
The Common Council, citing, concerned about an inadequate number of liquor licenses, requested an opinion from Racine County Economic Development Corporation and a thorough review of Allen’s finances.
While RCEDC found the project interesting and with merit, Allen started working with BMO Harris Bank on a potential financing package to fund the project, which was estimated at more than $500,000.
Additionally, according to the initial plan, the proposal included interior and exterior upgrades of the 4,000-square-foot property.
The property has been vacant since 2011, when owner John Henry Pomaville died in a car crash, and since then, the city has sought a full-service restaurant or hotel to fill the void.
As the property continues to be vacant, District 3 Alderman Tom Vos was concerned about the integrity of the structure.
“It has been a concern for quite some time because it has lingered so long with nothing happening,” Vos said.
City Administrator Carina Walters, who said the property will undergo an inspection, added the building’s exterior is the highest priority.
See the Jan. 18 edition of the Burlington Standard Press for the complete story from last week’s City Council meeting.
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