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Council says no to beer at new theater

Posted September 25, 2007 11:00 pm

Fitzgerald M. Doubet

The City Council on Monday denied Weherenberg theaters a liquor license for a movie theater expected to open this winter.

Wehrenberg's Bloomington Galaxy Cine 14, 1111 Wylie Drive, is under construction and is expected to open in December.

Council members voted down two motions to approve restrictions before voting 5-4 to deny the theater a license to serve beer seven days a week.

Alderman Jim Finnegan proposed a license that would limit the size of a beer served before ultimately voting against granting a license. The theater had planned to serve 32-ounce beers.

"I tried to guide the council to agree on no more than a 24-ounce bottle, but nobody else would go for that, so I figured let's vote it all out and be done with it," Finnegan said.

The council also discussed limiting beer drinking to a food court area and not allowing beer into the movie theaters.

Alderman John Hanson said he would have considered that compromise if it had been altered a bit.

"If their concept was to have an independent sit-down type restaurant within the facility rather than to have a food court-type atmosphere, I probably would not have had a problem with it."

Alderman Karen Schmidt voted for both compromises and against denying the license.

"I don't have a problem with beer being served in a movie theater," Schmidt said.

Wehrenberg Theaters President Ronald Krueger II could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Reach Journal Star reporter Fitzgerald M. Doubet at (309) 686-3041 or state@pjstar.com.

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