Alibi Bar could become Quincy’s sixth (and final) nightclub

QUINCY — The Quincy Plan Commission gave approval for a special permit to Alibi Bar, 500 York, to operate as a nightclub.

Alibi Bar opened this spring and operates as a bar under City Code, which means they have to close by 1 a.m., and nightclubs are allowed to stay open later under the same code.

That code was changed last month when the Quincy City Council voted to clarify rules and definitions of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. While the move was primarily done to increase revenues from video gaming terminals by increasing the number establishments could have, the ordinance also capped the number of nightclubs that could hold liquor licenses in the city at six.

Currently, five nightclubs hold licenses — Instant Replay, The Complex, Port’s Place, Casino Starlite and The Well (formerly known as The Barn). Nightclubs are allowed to stay open until 2:30 a.m. Sunday through Friday and until 4:30 a.m. on Saturdays, starting this weekend.

Cassandra McGee is the operator of Alibi Bar and the building is owned by Quincy attorney Don Heck. It is zoned as D2 (Downtown General Business District) and needs a special permit to operate as a nightclub.

McGee presented letters from two neighboring businesses, the Quincy Masonic Temple and Cheerful Home Daycare, saying Alibi Bar had permission for patrons to park in their respective parking lots as nearby off-street parking is required, per City Code.

One person wrote a letter in opposition and Trent Lepper, a partner with Winters Insurance, spoke with concerns about beer bottles and other trash being left behind by patrons.

Winters is located two blocks north of Alibi Bar, but has a parking lot between the two businesses. Lepper said the business is already dealing with beer bottles that are left by people leaving other nearby establishments, primarily Port’s Place, which is around the corner of 5th and Jersey to the east of Winters.

Lepper said Port’s Place’s owners have been responsive to their concerns and he hoped for the same from Alibi Bar, should the owners be granted the nightclub license.

“It’s not the (nightclub) owners, it’s their customers,” Lepper said. “I don’t have an issue with the owners,” Lepper said. “They do a good job and take care of it when we tell them about it.”

The Plan Commission approved the permit unanimously and it will go before the City Council on January 3.

In other action, that will also now go before the City Council for final approval on January 3, the Commission approved:

• A request for dividing one lot into two by Quincy-Cullinan, LLC, owners of the Quincy Town Center, formerly known as Quincy Mall. The property’s address is 3237-3424 Quincy Mall and located on the southwest corner of the intersection at 36th and College/Columbus Road.
• A special permit for Houndstooth Holdings to obtain a liquor license to serve alcohol and operate video gaming machines at 2634-2638 Broadway. The property is to the west of Little Caesar’s Pizza. Mays Real Estate owns the building and Adam Booth would run the business.