Montgomery development news

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by tredici

...
Instead of getting mad at me for suggesting that the delegation involve the parties that are going to eventually have a say in whether or not this goes into law, why don't you get mad at the legislators that dropped the ball on that?

lol. Dude, How do you figure I'm mad at you in particular? I'm sorry but you're wrong on that. (being mad at you)

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by bystander1

lol. Dude, How do you figure I'm mad at you in particular? I'm sorry but you're wrong on that. (being mad at you)

Well, the amount of exclamation marks in the post led me to believe that you were

[bystander1]

I was talking to the audience in general about Riley's tactics.

This gov was not unaware of what the city and the local delegation were writing in this bill. They're in touch with each other all the time and they all live in the same city and watch and listen to the same news.

This is simply a man who's been heavily influenced by another man who is no longer in power, but still wants to dictate policy and slow down city development; especially downtown.

Why should he care about what's going on in our ET district?
...he should be packing and heading back to his mobile home up in Cullman (or wherever he's from) in just a bit anyway...

[| BRAVO |]

Originally Posted by bystander1

...he should be packing and heading back to his mobile home up in Cullman (or wherever he's from) in just a bit anyway...

Ashland - East Alabama...

we don't want him either.

[mgmrebel]

Hear that Dauber's Art Gallery will be opening in a space across the breezeway from Za Zas Restaurant specializing in local artwork..

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by mgmrebel

Hear that Dauber's Art Gallery will be opening in a space across the breezeway from Za Zas Restaurant specializing in local artwork..

Some retail. That's great news.

...I wonder if I can take my beer in there?

[neilson]

Originally Posted by | BRAVO |

Ashland - East Alabama...

we don't want him either.

Milton McGregor ought to build an electronic bingo hall in Clay County that can be in close proximity to all. Give Ashland some entertainment and service jobs, no thanks to the governor.

[tsully76]

I went to Baumhower's Wings at the RSA Headquarters on South Union today food good nice place its worth checking out.

[OCA REP]

I know this has been beat to death recently on here, but The Montgomery Advertiser ran the following story in today's edition:

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/arti...-may-stop-Montgomery-downtown-party-bill

ABC Board may stop Montgomery downtown 'party' bill

By Cosby Woodruff • March 3, 2010

The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board could put a stop to Montgomery's downtown party district before the celebration even begins.

But the city says if an agreement cannot be worked out with the ABC board to create an area downtown where patrons can walk outside with their drinks, the issue could wind up being decided in court.

Rules of the proposed district would allow bar and restaurant patrons to purchase alcohol in an establishment and then carry it to the street and possibly even to another bar or restaurant. The "open container" rule would not only encourage the downtown area's popular pub crawls but help attract even more conventions to the area, according to the city.

But ABC general counsel Bob Hill said such a policy would make it all but impossible for the board to enforce its own rules.

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said the city will not create the district until the issue is settled, either by agreement or in a court ruling.

The Alley and bars and restaurants within a block or two have formed what amounts to an unofficial entertainment district over the past two years, but like other bars and restaurants in the city, their license only allows them to serve alcoholic drinks for on-premises consumption. That means a patron can order an alcoholic drink, but must finish the drink before leaving the establishment.

Other establishments, such as package stores, grocery stores and convenience stores, have off-premises licenses in which they can sell only unopened, sealed containers of beer, wine or liquor. The customer must then remove the container from the establishment before opening and consuming the beverage.

Those are the only two kinds of permanent alcohol licenses allowed in Alabama, according to Hill. Temporary permits, such as those issued for street festivals, can allow someone to carry an open container of alcohol on the streets.

Hill said the proposed district would have the effect of creating a third class of license, one he insists is not supported by the Alabama Constitution.

"The constitution does not allow you to have a local law that overrides a state law," he said.

The law enabling Montgomery to establish an entertainment district worked its way through the Legislature once and reached Gov. Bob Riley's desk. Riley added an executive amendment to the bill that limits the area that can become part of the district.

The bill, with the amendment, is now working its way through the Legislature a second time. If it passes, it would allow Montgomery to establish the district in an area roughly bound by Bibb Street, Water Street, Molton Street and Coosa Street. That includes the Alley project, the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center and the Montgomery Brewing Co.

It does not include Riverwalk Stadium, meaning baseball fans could not leave the park with unfinished beers.

Strange said an entertainment district would mean new business for establishments downtown.

"It would help attract more conventions and those kinds of things," he said. "It will be unique."

City and ABC officials are scheduled to meet to discuss the issue Thursday, but Hill said he sees little room for compromise.

"I feel very strongly that the proper resolution is that the city can't let bars or restaurants allow people to take it out," he said.

Chris Ellis, general manager of the Brew Pub, said he supports the idea of an entertainment district, but said it is not without problems.

"I am for it," he said. "I am all for it."

At the same time, he worries that allowing people to take drinks out of one place will lead them to try to take drinks into another place. That is something he said raises too many concerns.

"I am not going to allow you to bring something into my bar that you bought at another bar," he said.

Even more troubling than that is the idea that a customer may pay a cover charge at his place, order a soft drink and then take advantage of the rules to go to the parking lot and mix a drink from a bottle brought from home.

That means the bar isn't selling any alcohol but is facing plenty of liability for its consumption, he said.

Ellis said he favors allowing public consumption in the district but not unregulated street parties.

Something about this still smells like Emory's continued involvment in Montgomery's business...

[Port_of_Bama]

For years I have been lead under the impresssion that it was legal to walk out with alchoholic drinks. I see people walking around DT Mobile with drinks in there hands on weekends, and especially during Carnival,I never really gave it any thought.

[telecom dude]

I am brand new to this thread, does anyone know what businesses will be locating in the new RSA building between dexter and monroe st? I have wondered that since they started construction.

[OCA REP]

Originally Posted by telecom dude

I am brand new to this thread,

Welcome aboard!

[floc34]

Do any of you think something like this would work in downtown Montgomery?


http://www.farrellis.com/
or
http://www.goldclasscinemas.com/

[Dyingyak]

Originally Posted by floc34

Do any of you think something like this would work in downtown Montgomery?


http://www.farrellis.com/
or
http://www.goldclasscinemas.com/

Carmike Cinemas has experimented with theaters that serve food and snacks, but I don't think any of them ever did that well.

[rbp]

*removed*

Any idea how much space in the various RSA buildings in town are state offices or somehow related to RSA (like Raycomm Media in the tower) as opposed to private firms?

[thoraudio]

Originally Posted by Dyingyak

Carmike Cinemas has experimented with theaters that serve food and snacks, but I don't think any of them ever did that well.

Montgomery actually one, years and years ago. On the Atlanta highway, where the Probate Judges office is now.

[Brown Duckz]

.

VictoryLand set to reopen today
By Markeshia Ricks
[email protected]

Most of VictoryLand will reopen at 1 p.m. today, according to VictoryLand President Milton McGregor.

Quincy's Triple Seven and The Oasis Hotel, two of its largest venues, will be reopening today along with the Oasis Buffet & Restaurant, Luigi's Ice Cream Shoppe and Lulu's Gift Shoppe.

The majority of the remaining facilities will reopen at 11 a.m. Monday. These include simulcast dog and horse racing with pari-mutuel wagering, the Kennel Club restaurant, Willie's Café and the SportsBook Bar. Live greyhound racing will return at 7:35 p.m. on March 19.

VictoryLand closed temporarily on Feb. 4, after Gov. Bob Riley's Task Force to Stop Illegal Gambling launched an unsuccessful raid on the facilities.

The major question is what has changed since last month when McGregor decided to temporarily close VictoryLand down to keep it from being raided.

It's a question McGregor declined to answer Thursday night, saying that for now all the information he could disclose was in the news release announcing VictoryLand was reopening, news that was embargoed until this morning.

"Our employees are enthusiastic about returning to their jobs," he said, adding that this weekend will be a special occasion for everyone at VictoryLand.

Before McGregor's announcement, most of the news concerning VictoryLand focused on Paul Jones, Fifth Judicial Circuit district attorney, saying he will push forward with getting the courts to determine the legality of electronic bingo operations in Macon County despite Riley's objections.

Jones traded several contentious letters and e-mails with Riley and John Tyson, who heads the governor's Task Force on Illegal Gambling on Thursday about his decision to seek a declaratory judgment on the legality of bingo machines at VictoryLand.

"I'm going to file for a declaratory judgment, and we'll just let a judge decide," he said. "The Alabama Supreme Court has to decide anyway, and when I file it with the Macon County Circuit Court, it will end up with the Alabama Supreme Court, and it will be over."

Jones said going through the courts would be far less expensive than the governor's raids.

The electronic bingo hall, hotel and restaurants at VictoryLand have been closed for more than a month after an attempted raid by the governor's task force.

The closure of the campus to avoid the raids have resulted in 2,000 people being laid off, he said.

But in a letter that the governor released to the media Thursday, Riley questions Jones' authority to ask for such a judgment.

Riley wrote that neither his office, nor the task force, would view the outcome of such a judgment as binding on the state or stop any attempt to seize the machines.

"In fact, your action could be viewed as interfering with the ongoing work of the task force as it battles illegal gambling in the state," Riley wrote.

Jones announced at the start of this week that he had inspected the machines with the help of an engineer from Gaming Laboratories International at VictoryLand and believes that they comply with the six-point test that the Alabama Supreme Court outlined in November.

Gaming Laboratories International, or GLI, tests electronic gaming equipment for regulators of the gambling industry such as state gaming commissions, and in Alabama's case, Macon County's Sheriff David Warren.

The court's test requires the following:

human interaction
paying attention to the letters and numbers announced
physical action to determine matching letters and numbers
marking the matching letters and numbers
recognizing whether one has a winning card
being the first to announce that one has a winning card.
GLI Director of Lottery and Bingo Testing Rich LaBrocca said that the machines at VictoryLand comply with the six-point test.

He was on hand Thursday to demonstrate how the machines allow people to play the game of bingo electronically.

He said VictoryLand's machines won't operate unless there are at least two people playing, and the players must electronically mark their bingo card and be the first to acknowledge that they have a winner.

LaBrocca said that there is no way that VictoryLand or any other casino could "rig" the games because it's very difficult to manipulate the algorithm that facilitates the games. And if the machines have been tampered with, the digital imprint and the tamper-resistant evidence tape that was put on them when GLI tested them in December to make sure they were in compliance would show that.

Under Macon County's constitutional amendment on bingo, the sheriff is responsible for interpreting the rules, and Warren said he is confident that the machines are legal.

He is not as confidant that the county can withstand the negative impact VictoryLand's closure is having on the economy.

"This touches everything," he said. "People are playing bingo for the high school, all the volunteer fire departments and charities. This is equal to the death of our county."

Jones said because of Macon County's amendment, he doesn't believe that the machines at VictoryLand have to comply with the six-point test to be legal, but he's ready to let a judge decide.

Rick Harmon contributed to this story

[Brown Duckz]

.

Four businesses announce Alley plans

Four businesses announced plans to open this year in the Alley Station, pushing the city’s entertainment area closer to becoming the destination planners envisioned when they started the project.

Nancy’s Italian Ice and MarChelle’s Bakery will give the Alley more casual places to eat. Daubers Art Gallery will give the whole development its first real retail presence. Ziggy’s Jazz & Blues will add another upscale dining option and nightspot.

Together, Alley developers say it will mean at least two dozen jobs, but developers also admit negotiations remain with three of the four businesses before leases are signed.

-- Cosby Woodruff

[OCA REP]

Originally Posted by tsully76

I went to Baumhower's Wings at the RSA Headquarters on South Union today food good nice place its worth checking out.

Our "lunch group" from work went there today for lunch. The food was GREAT and the service was LOUSY. I will cut them some slack since this is their first week and the place was slammed with customers today. Nice atmosphere though and I am hopeful the service will improve with time.

It is good to have one more lunch option available (within walking distance) downtown!

[thoraudio]

Hate that Marchell's left Prattville, but if it's going to show up anywhere, the Alley is nice.