Aldermen deny permit for operation of nightclub at Sixth and Hampshire

QUINCY — Aldermen agreed with the recommendation of the denial by the Plan Commission of a special permit to operate a nightclub at 601-603 Hampshire, the site of the Little D Sports Club, during Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting.

Owner Michael Erwin told aldermen he would like to take the name “nightclub” off the ordinance.

“I understand the fear of having a nightclub in Quincy, especially downtown,” he said. “What I want is kind of a wind-down lounge. It’s just extended hours for people who have an opportunity that, after they’re out, having fun and they want to go to someplace else, they have a place to go sit down and have a conversation.”

Erwin said he has invested close to a quarter of a million dollars in his building. He said he’s building apartments as well.

“I get up between 5:30 and 7 a.m. every morning. I don’t want the big loud nightclub scene,” he said. “That’s not my goal. Because I have experienced what happened with the Phoenix nightclub (a block away at 625 Maine). I feel I’d be the perfect person you would want to have another late-hours operation. I know what happened before and what we all don’t want.

“I can actually do a good job and provide an asset for the city and not just another nightclub which is going to be rowdy. If it starts doing that, I will shut it down myself.”

Vicki Dempsey, who owns buildings at 232, 234 and 236 N. Sixth, is putting four market-rate apartments above her law office. Tieraney Craig owns Quincy Brewing Company with her husband at 110 N. Sixth. Both women spoke in opposition to the nightclub. 

“It is a nightclub that’s open ‘til 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 in the morning,” Dempsey said. “(Erwin’s) best intentions are not going to attract the kind of tenants I want living in my apartments. The kind of people who are going to be out that late at night are going to create noise potential.”

“We have a lot of experience with people drinking,” Craig said. “Unfortunately, the later the night goes, the rowdier the crowd gets. That’s one of the reasons we only stay open until 10 o’clock. … We’ve also invested over a million dollars in the rental rehab program. We have a lot of tenants upstairs, and we really just want to foster an atmosphere that is quiet.”

The vote was 12-1, with Jake Reed (R-6) casting the lone dissenting vote. Brianna Rivera (R-3) recused herself from the vote.

In other action, aldermen approved recommendations from the Plan Commission and have ordinances drafted for:

• A planned development by Morgan Evans to allow for automobile sales at 1205 N. 12^th.
• The vacating of the public right of way at 4631 Harrison to allow for the front yard of the parcel to be square with Harrison and to align the street right of way with Harrison.
• A request from Stone Farm of Wisconsin to rezone three parcels without addresses along Ellington Road between 24th and 36th Streets from rural/agricultural to M1 light industrial to allow for the construction of a 200,000-square-foot United Alloy facility. 
• A planned development, a 2,500-square-foot office building to be built at 3520 Locust, within a planned industrial zoning district.
• The subdivision of one lot into eight lots at 4704 Wismann Lane under the small tracts provision of the subdivision ordinance. 
• A planned development, a solar farm to be built at 4620 Koch’s Lane, within a planned industrial zoning district. 

In other action, aldermen:

• Recognized Don Briddle, who has retired after 30 years of service at the Quincy Fire Department.
• Saw Matt Reynolds be sworn in as Briddle’s replacement as a lieutenant with the Quincy Fire Department.
• Learned a report on an internal complaint filed during the hiring process for the chief of the Quincy Police Department has not yet been received by the city.
• Tabled for two weeks requests by Mike and Tyler Moss to build a two-family residential dwelling, an oversized garage and a living unit within a garage at 1736 Adams.
• Approved an agreement between the Quincy Police Department and the Quincy Housing Authority for a Quincy Police Department housing officer from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024. 
• Authorized demolition expenditures for 314 N. Eighth, 530-536 N. Seventh and 521 Sycamore. 
• Authorized funding from the Small Rental Rehab Project for renovations/new construction at 1139 No. 4 Hutmacher Road for $20,000, 1122 Monroe for $40,000, 1135 Vermont for $40,000, 326 S. 10th for $40,000, 1017 Payson Avenue for $40,000 and 2315 N. 12th for $80,000.
• Learned of Rivera’s plan to resign as 3^rd Ward alderman to take a position as the executive director of The District. Her last meeting will be Dec. 26.
• Learned a backup storage system from Rubric Enterprise Edition for $196,920.07 for a three-year subscription must be paid in full upfront. Ben Uzelac (D-7), a member of the Technology Committee, said he learned the subscription could not be paid over three years after aldermen voted on the resolution during last week’s meeting.