Rockbar liquor license renewal hearing tonight

By Patricia Calhoun Wed., Sep. 19 2012 at 4:07 PM

Categories: Follow That Story

Jesse Morreale has spent much of the summer in meetings with the city, which on July 10 slapped a "notice to vacate" on his First Avenue Hotel - which holds Sketch and El Diablo, as well as Morreale's offices. And those meetings aren't over yet.

But his next meeting with the city doesn't involve the First Avenue property. Instead, it's an unusual public hearing over the renewal of the liquor license for Rockbar, the club on the first floor of the All-Inn, the motel at 3015 East Colfax Avenue that Morreale bought six years ago.

Liquor licenses are usually renewed without much attention. But with Morreale and the city these days, nothing is business as usual.

The renewal hearing had originally been set for August 8, the day the license expired (it's since been temporarily extended), but was then moved to later in the month. And then it was moved again, to an evening slot, at the request of a neighbor, according to Tom Downey, director of the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses.

That hearing will now begin at 6 p.m. tonight, September 19, in the Webb building at 201 West Colfax Avenue.

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