Committee approves two liquor-license applications; one forwarded to city council

The Kankakee City License & Franchise Committee approved two liquor-license applications at its meeting, forwarding one application to the city council and approving another for a new owner.

An applicant who identified himself as Stanford, speaking for an application tied to Vintage Poor LLC at 251 South Skyler Avenue, said the venue would operate as an upscale wine bar Wednesday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., serve wine and craft beer, host private events on Sundays and make restrooms available during the Saturday farmers market. He said the existing gaming machines at the location are expected to remain. "We're hoping to open up a wine bar...and be the bathroom for the farmers market on Saturdays," Stanford said.

The committee moved to forward that application to the city council. The motion was made by Alderman Tally and seconded by Alderman Jones. On a roll-call vote, Alderman Tally voted yes; Alderman Baron abstained to avoid a potential conflict of interest; Alderman Jones voted yes; Alderman Navares voted yes; Alderman Alsac abstained for a potential conflict. The chair announced the motion carried and the application will go to city council for final action.

Separately, the committee considered a new-license application for the Remington location at 150 North Skyler Avenue submitted by Fields Field and Fire LLC. Mr. Kenneth Lquix explained the filing was for a new LLC at an existing location rather than a transfer of the prior owner's license. Committee members said the paperwork had been submitted and moved to approve the application. The motion passed after a roll-call vote with one abstention recorded for a potential conflict of interest.

Why this matters: liquor licenses affect downtown commerce, tax receipts and public-safety oversight. Committee members noted that maintaining clear renewal and transfer rules helps the city avoid situations where a license is held inactive at an address while someone else operates or the property is unused.

The committee did not take up approval of minutes (members reported they had not received the draft) and recorded that no public comments were offered at the meeting. The meeting adjourned shortly after 5:50 p.m.