Suher offered little new information about the former First Baptist Church, one of the more intriguing downtown projects in recent years, except to say he's eager to see the project finished.
The Republican file photo | John Suchocki | NORTHAMPTON – Eric Suher hopes to reopen this former Baptist Church soon as a multi-purpose venue.NORTHAMPTON – The License Commission wants downtown mogul Eric Suher to let it know when he plans to use two liquor licenses he holds or give them back.
Suher, who owns The Iron Horse and the Calvin Theater, among other downtown properties, is on the commission’s March 7 agenda because he holds two so-called “pocket licenses” to sell alcohol, one a seasonal license, the other to sell alcohol year-round. The seasonal license is connected to a building he owns at 26 Center St. The year-round license pertains to a church Suher has been renovating behind the Sullivan Building at the intersection of Route 9 and West Street.
Although Suher has held the licenses for several years, he has used neither one to date. In requesting his appearance, the License Commission cited a 2004 memo from the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission advising the commission that it is cracking down on the holding of unused licenses. State law allows the commission to cancel such licenses.
Suher bought the former First Baptist Church on 298 Main St. for $125,000 in 1993, and work has been ongoing there since. He plans to reopen it as a multi-purpose venue with a bar, kitchen, stage and seating. The building features stained-glass windows. The 26-28 Center Street property is a 1,500-square-foot space that Suher bought in 2005.
Notoriously circumspect about his plans, Suher would only say Thursday that he expects both spaces to be open for business soon.
“I expect the licenses to be used at those addresses as soon as the space is completed,” he said.
Suher offered little new information about the church, one of the more intriguing downtown projects in recent years, except to say he’s eager to see the project finished.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, Police Chief Russell P. Sienkiewicz is scheduled to address the commission concerning a policy for allowing restaurants with liquor licenses to remain open until 3 a.m. The sale of alcohol is prohibited after 2 a.m., and many bars serve only until 1 a.m. Sienkiewicz, whose officers are charged with enforcing those deadlines, wants to brief the License Commission on his thoughts concerning the subject.
The map below shows the approximate locations of 2 buildings owned by Eric Suher for which he holds unused liquor licenses:
View Eric Suher Northampton properties with unused liquor licenses in a larger map