Temp Liquor Lic. At Maspeth Site Rejected
The State Liquor Authority (SLA) dealt a knockout blow to the Knockdown Center’s bid to serve alcohol during two upcoming rap concerts at the Maspeth arts and entertainment venue, the Times Newsweekly has learned.
During a public hearing on Tuesday, Apr. 22, at its Harlem office, the SLA rejected the Knockdown Center’s application or temporary liquor licenses for rapper M.I.A.’s concerts on May 8 and 9. Chairperson Dennis Rosen also delayed until next month a decision on a granting a full-fledged liquor license to the facility seeking to accommodate thousands at various events.
Rosen gave an attorney representing the Knockdown Center, located at 52-19 Flushing Ave., until the close of business next Tuesday, Apr. 29, to provide the SLA with additional information about security and transportation accommodations at the facility. The information, combined with comments received by the SLA at Tuesday’s meeting, will factor into the authority’s final decision, which is scheduled to be made at its May 6 board meeting.
A former glass factory, the Knockdown Center has held in recent months various events from performance art to live concerts. Its owners-DMI Inc., as noted on the SLA application, and principal owner David Sklar-is seeking a cabaret liquor license to serve alcoholic beverages with live and recorded music at its various events.
At the onset of Tuesday’s hearing, Knockdown Center attorney Terrence Flynn formally requested an adjournment to provide the SLA with such information. Rosen chided him, noting he had more than a week and ample notice to submit the additional documents.
The hearing moved on as scheduled, and a parade of Knockdown Center opponents came to the microphone urging the SLA to deny the permit outright.
“I don’t know anyone in this community who’s in favor of it,” said Community Board 5 District Manager Gary Giordano. The board recently voted unanimously to request that the SLA reject the Knockdown Center permit, citing concerns of quality-of-life problems emanating from the facility impacting nearby residential areas.
“There have been some very rowdy events there before where people came out intoxicated, whether from alcohol or substance abuse,” Giordano stated. He particularly offered concerns over the permit, which would allow the Knockdown Center to serve alcohol to 600 or more patrons, “an enormous range for what could take place there.”
The district manager also wondered about the impact of the upcoming M.I.A. concerts, which could attract thousands of people to the area.
“When they (Knockdown Center’s operators) first approached me, it was supposed to be an arts venue,” Giordano said. “It’s gone from that to the potential for 5,000 people there at one time.”
Rosen asked Giordano about the board’s opinion on the Knockdown Center if the application sought to serve fewer people. Giordano responded that he couldn’t speak for the board with regard to a possible reduced maximum occupancy.
Several elected officials also sent representatives who read statements in opposition to the application. The representatives were David Aglialoro for Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Jacob Tugendrajch for State Sen. Michael Gianaris and Alex Maureau for State Sen. Joseph Addabbo.
“The establishment has applied repeatedly for an assembly permit to allow for 5,000 people to attend events and concerts,” according to Nolan’s statement. “This would lead to hundreds, possibly thousands coming into the neighborhood at all hours of the night.”
Nolan and Gianaris charged large crowds would put particularly great strain on the 104th Precinct to respond to any problems and offer, if needed, traffic and crowd control. The precinct previously sent the SLA a letter also recommending denial of the application.
The lawmakers’ representatives also mentioned a lack of public transportation, noting that the nearest subway station-the Jefferson Street L train stop-is nearly a mile away.
“In order to get there, you’d have to pass through a residential area,” Maureau added.
Christina Wilkinson, representing both the Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together (COMET) civic association and the Juniper Park Civic Association (JPCA), pointed out that complaints about illegal occupancy at the Knockdown Center have been raised since 2011, but have gone unresolved since the owners did not allow buildings inspectors access.
One of the complaints, she noted, was that the property owner lives on the premises with children. Flynn later denied that claim.
“They do not have their city cabaret license from the Department of Consumer Affairs or a food service permit from the city Department of Health,” Wilkinson added. She added that the Buildings Department previously rejected an assembly permit allowing up to 5,000 patrons on site at a given time.
Wilkinson also called into question the legality of the application itself, claiming that two individuals introduced by Knockdown Center representatives as “major investors”-Gina and Tony Argento-are not listed on the liquor license application.
“We don’t feel it’s necessary to have a liquor license to serve 5,000 people for them to display art,” she stated.
Seeking to allay concerns
Upon hearing these complaints, Rosen voiced concerns to Flynn about the potential for drunk driving, since the lack of public transportation options would lead many guests to take their own vehicles to the Knockdown Center.
“My first concern is there would be a lot of people who would have a hard time getting to this venue,” he said.
“You just can’t assume there would be drunk driving,” Flynn responded. “If that were the case, no place would get a liquor licenses.”
The attorney contended that five bus lines-the B57 on Flushing Avenue, the Q54 on Metropolitan Avenue, the Q39 and Q59 on Grand Avenue and the B38 on Seneca Avenue-are within a six-block walk of the facility and adequately service the area.
But those who choose to drive to the Knockdown Center would find plenty of parking, he claimed.
“There are private lots in the immediate area for 550 cars,” Flynn said. “In the non-residential area, there are 410 street parking spaces, which gives you 960 spots for cars.” Fifty of the spots are located on the Knockdown Center property, he noted.
Flynn insisted that the proprietors are in talks with the 104th Precinct in arranging for a limited schedule of activities at the Knockdown Center, including setting a maximum occupancy for certain events.
“That way police wouldn’t be taxed by an overabundance of people,” Flynn told the board. “They would know specifically when these events take place and plan accordingly.”
The attorney dismissed the notion that Knockdown Center would frequently hold events serving up to 5,000 people at a time.
“They seem to think 5,000 people are coming to this place. That’s not correct,” he noted. “There are certain times when they are going to have a big event with an artist.”
All of the information provided to the SLA will be forwarded to Board 5 and other opponents of the Knockdown Center application, and those parties will have until May 5 to provide any responses to the SLA, one day prior to the next board meeting.
