Duval County legislators agree to carry local bill expanding Five Points drinking

Bottoms up.

That’s the takeaway from measures taken Thursday by the Duval County Legislative Delegation, which will carry a local bill that will allow for liquor service at FIVE on Park Street.

The hopes are the concert venue, which will replace the beloved Sun Ray Cinema, will help to revive the Five Points commercial strip that has been riddled by businesses leaving in recent years.

It aims to create a new special zone for event centers known as the “Urban Transition Area North of Park Street,” expanding alcohol service as long as more than half of income comes from sales of food and tickets.

The district will extend to Margaret Street.

Rep. Wyman Duggan noted that these special exception areas are created routinely for “greater opportunity for infill economic development” with this one “essentially in Five Points.”

“We’ve already done this for the other parts of the Urban Transition Area,” Duggan said, with “tremendous” results.

Lobbyist Steve Diebenow noted that liquor could only constitute 49.9% of sales, with ticket sales, food and merchandise driving a simple majority of revenue. With some all ages shows slated for FIVE, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Birdies, which is next door to the concert venue, already sells liquor on the strip. Other Five Points restaurants also have liquor licenses, Diebenow noted. But this won’t be a “full liquor license” like Club 5 had when it occupied “the former Five Points Theater.” Nor would it allow consumption of booze outside the venue.