LEWISTON — A controversial downtown night club hopes a change of address might be better for its fortunes.
Stephen Wallace, owner of Altera nightclub, told city councilors Tuesday that he plans to relocate his nightclub from 16 Park St. to 347 Lisbon St.
“It’ll be just what was Park Street, without Club Karma — basically, the first floor with everything that was on the top floors gone,” Wallace said Tuesday afternoon.
Councilors approved the liquor license at the new location at their meeting Tuesday night.
The multiple floor Park Street nightclub nearly lost its liquor license this summer. City councilors voted in June to put the club on probation due to reported liquor license violations, noise complaints and police claims of finding people younger than 21 years old drinking alcohol in the bar.
They took it off probation a month later, after club owners and managers put together a plan to deal with complaints and council concerns, stepped up their security and met with neighbors in the nearby Oak Park senior housing complex.
Club Karma at Altera occupied the same space as Club Adrenaline, a popular 2008 nightclub that upset neighbors at Oak Park. The neighbors complained of drunken club-goers shouting, fighting and engaging in lewd behavior on their way to their cars along Park Street and right below many of the residents’ windows.
The three-story Club Karma at Altera received its liquor license and city permits in January and opened its doors. It offered food and drinks on the first floor, dancing and a go-go dancers stage on the second floor and a VIP lounge with bottle service on the third floor.
Wallace said Tuesday that he’s done with the go-go dancers. His new Altera will feature a restaurant on one side during weeknights. The entire nightclub will open on weekends, with dancing, live music and comedy and drag shows.
Wallace said he plans to repaint the bright orange Lisbon Street building. The building was formerly home to the Lewiston Social Club and Heaven and Hell.
Wallace said he hopes to have at least part of the club open this weekend.
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