Tracy L. Johnson applied to the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABC) for a private club and beer permit to apply to the old Colton's restaurant at the southwest corner of University and Asher/Colonel Glenn Avenues.

Unfortunately, this use is not within the hopes and dreams of the University District Partnership. The Partnership consists of leaders who work or live in the District and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. We have worked for the better part of the last decade on making our part of Little Rock an even better place to live.

The planning process that we have participated in has produced clear goals for the area. Those goals do not include a nightclub at the center of the southern gateway to UALR and to the University District. The Revitialization Plan for the University District, published in July 2007, discusses the area now to be dominated by a bar on page 4-13:

9 International Village Mixed Use Center This mixed-use center will replace an obsolete and under used strip shopping center located at the southwest corner of the University Boulevard [sic] / Colonel Glenn intersection. Inspired in part by the 21 nations and flags representing the multinational congregation of the Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas, as well as the newly arrived Mexican Consulate, the International Village will be the largest mixed use center in the UD. Occupying a refurbished former K-Mart, Mosaic Church is a central activity focus, and is flanked by two-to-three story mixed use structures that create an urban edge along University Avenue and Colonel Glen. The development program totals approximately 260,000 square feet, consisting of ground level retail and office or residential on the upper floors. At the corner of the property is a large landscaped gateway and water feature that opens up a view corridor directly to the entrance of Mosaic Church for traffic traveling southbound on University Avenue and traveling westbound on Asher / Colonel Glenn.

Colton's closed some time ago, and it is now owned, acccording to Mr. Johnson's application, by Iberia Bank. The representative at the bank handling it is Jeff Hargroder, (337) 521-4129.

To comment on the application, contact the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division 1515 West 7th Street, Suite 503, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201. Phone 682-1105.

The comment deadline is April 19. The ABC Director will make his decision by April 21. That decision can be appealed to the full ABC board, and that decision may be reviewed in circuit court.

We will post more information when it becomes available.