A keno hall in the Benson area whose liquor license application already being reviewed by the City Council now wants to upgrade their license to permit sales of package liquor.
Omaha Keno King, which is located in 6533 Ames Ave, will take its request on May 3rd, 2010 to the council, which will hold a public hearing and vote on the proposal. Omaha Keno King has drawn a lot of criticisms from neighbors about disturbances that occurred in the facility.
In March 2010, the council required the facility's owner to submit a formal application to renew its license. Since then, Omaha Keno King has filed an application for on-site and package sales to the council. The facility's current license only permits for alcohol sales for consumption on the establishment.
Jeff Rothlisberger, the owner of the facility, said that the package liquor license would help improve his sales and the safety of his customers because he could close down the bar sales earlier. Rothlisberger said that he has enough security people to clear individuals from the parking area.
But Rothlisberger said that he doubts the City Council will approve his request. But he hopes to convince the council to loosen the restrictions on events on his business. Keno King's neighbors have complained that the establishment has brought a lot of problems to their neighborhood.
The president of the Benson Neighborhood Association, Liz Moldenhauer, said that she is not in favor of Keno King's request, citing the numerous problems at the business. Moldenhauer said that Keno King's predecessor, Claiborne Centre, had the same problems. She added that they believe that there is still a lot of work to be done on the issue.
Author: John M. Thorpe
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