Under pressure from a lawsuit, city officials say they won’t oppose a liquor license application for a new strip club.
Mayor George Heartwell told The Grand Rapids Press that the city has given its blessing to a liquor license application by Mark London, owner of the Showgirls Galleria at 234 Market Ave.
London has asked the city to rezone his business out of its industrial zone and into the adjoining downtown zone where adult businesses are allowed to sell liquor.
Heartwell said he favors allowing London to get his liquor license along with his request for a zoning change, but only because of a recent court ruling against London that upheld city regulations that require dancers to be at least six feet away from customers and force them to wear G-strings and pasties.
London had sued the city to overturn the city measure restricting adult businesses. He is appealing the court ruling.
Dar VanderArk, director of the Michigan Decency Action Council, said he supports the zoning change and liquor license, adding that the city has done all it can to deal with adult businesses like London’s strip club.
VanderArk’s group lobbied the city to enact its new adult business regulations after paying the city’s $27,000 in legal bills when London sued it.
