Atlanta board OKs plan for Midtown nightclub

By Eric Stirgus

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A hotly contested plan to open a nightclub and lounge in Midtown Atlanta took a major step Tuesday toward becoming a reality.

The city's License Review Board voted 3-2 late Tuesday in favor of granting Alex and Michael Gidewon a liquor license to operate the nightspots in space they're renting at Peachtree and 11th streets. Mayor Shirley Franklin has 60 days to decide whether to approve the liquor license.

The Gidewon brothers hope to open before Christmas.

"We certainly hope [Franklin] will follow the recommendations of the board," said DeWayne Martin, the Gidewons' attorney. "We're pleased with the outcome."

Scores of Midtown residents opposed the plans, saying the club would bring more crime and excessive noise to a portion of Peachtree Street that is becoming increasingly residential. Skyscraping condos have popped up in the area, which many call the "Midtown Mile."

"I think having these clubs here is tremendously out of character with the direction this neighborhood is going," said Sally Flocks, president of a pedestrian safety group based in Midtown.

Others said they would welcome more nightlife in the area.

"I think Atlanta could use a little more of that mix," said Jenny Smith, who moved to Midtown 10 months ago.

In the end, the majority of the board said they found no legal basis to recommend against granting the liquor license.

About 100 people attended Tuesday's meeting at City Hall. The crowd was so large that the meeting had to be moved into the City Council chamber.

The Gidewons, who have owned and operated some of metro Atlanta's most popular nightspots, say they've spent about $4 million on their latest project. They owned Vision, a nightclub at Peachtree and 12th streets that closed in 2006.

Opponents cited police statistics they say showed crime in the area near Vision dropped dramatically since the club closed. Martin countered with police data of his own that 60 percent of crime occurred on days Vision was closed.