[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...68536b12ab.html

MICHIGAN CITY - Michigan City is expanding its free liquor license program to spur further economic growth on the north end of the city.

The vote by the city council Tuesday night was 5-4 before a standing-room only crowd overwhelmingly in favor of the move based on a show of hands and loud applause.

For several years, free liquor licenses have been offered strictly along the Trail Creek corridor from the lakefront to 8th Street to try and bring about a boardwalk type concept featuring retail establishments, including those serving alcohol.

The idea behind offering free liquor licenses three blocks further to the south and to the west throughout the downtown area is to provide an area for the development idea.

[outsider]

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...68536b12ab.html

Would this not devalue existing liquor licenses? Liquor licenses can be more valuable than the property and equipment and even the branding/name of an establishment. Did any existing restaurant owners comment on this during the public forum of the meeting?

[taxthedeer]

Michigan City has enough bars, taverns, restaurants, service clubs, casinos, grocery stores, big box stores, liquor stores, convince stores, golf courses and bowling alleys for people to go out and drink. For St. Patrick's Day they had something called the "Paddywagon" that bused patrons around to 8 different establishments.

[Southsider2k12]

Would this not devalue existing liquor licenses? Liquor licenses can be more valuable than the property and equipment and even the branding/name of an establishment. Did any existing restaurant owners comment on this during the public forum of the meeting?

It absolutely does hurt the historical owners. They did speak out, and the council ignored them by a 4-3 vote. So much for protecting local interests.