The Jackson City Council took a step toward letting a liquor store that plans to specialize in high-end, organic wines locate in Banner Hall.
The council granted Brandi Carter a conditional use permit for the liquor store she wants to open.
The council approved the conditional use permit for the store on June 17 after it held off during its April 15 meeting in doing so.
Ashby Foote, who represents Ward 7 on the city council, encouraged his fellow council members to vote in favor of the conditional use permit, which has to be renewed annually.
Foote said he met with Father Joe Tonos, pastor at St. Richard Catholic Church, which is near Banner Hall, and Tonos had no concerns.
In April, the council approved granting Bradley Adair a conditional use permit for the restaurant/sports bar he wants to open in Banner Hall. The permit would allow for a general restaurant within a neighborhood shopping center within a C-2 (Limited) Commercial District and would have to be renewed annually.
The restaurant/sports bar named Rex’s Good Times would be located in some of the space formerly occupied by the Bridal Path on the first floor at the front of the building.
Doug Price, a commercial real estate broker and tenant in Banner Hall, said he has the task of leasing the space formerly occupied by the bridal shop.
“We had a hard time finding tenants,” he said, explaining that it is a challenge because the former bridal shop space is about 4,400 square feet, has zero windows other than at the front and lacks visibility and natural light.
The plan was to divide the space into three separate spaces with each having its own entrance, he said. The liquor store would occupy about 1,100 square feet at the front of the building; Rex’s Good Time, the middle space; and an event venue, the rest of the space.
Rex’s Good Time would occupy about 1,400 square feet, serve “pizza, salad, basic bar food” and be open Tuesday through Saturday until 10 p.m. and perhaps later for big games, Price said.
Price said the owners of Banner Hall believe in the city of Jackson and Banner Hall, which is a place where many people gather and do business daily and have carefully considered the types of businesses they want to locate there.
