Liquor License Expansion Passes in Danville

Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer says city council members were not thinking about accommodating a new Meijer's store, when they approved an expansion of liquor licenses Tuesday night.

But one of the six new licenses created by the ordinance is expected to be granted to Meijer's for the store it plans to build on North Vermilion Street. The new licenses are only for grocery and drug stores.

The ordinance initially fell short of passage. But then one of the aldermen voting "no" asked to have the measure reconsidered ... and the measure passed on the 2nd vote.

Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer says the initial opposition was due to the mistaken notion that the ordinance would create new licenses for regular package liquor stores.

"And the council was not in favor of this, promoting any additional package liquor store license", Eisenhauer said. "And so I think, once that became more clear to them, then they were willing to support this.

The new liquor ordinance splits drug and grocery stores into a new "PG" liquor license category, while package liquor stores will stay under the "P" grouping.

Eisehnauer says existing liquor stores may feel the pressure from new stores like Meijer's, but not as much as if the new licenses went to stores specializing in liquor.

"Simply because the intention of grocery stores or the large box retail stores is to generate new traffic into the market place for all sales, one of which would include alcoholic beverages", says Eisenhauer.

Another new liquor license category will cover micro-breweries.