A State Street sushi restaurant may lose its liquor license after a city committee met Wednesday and chose to take action on a complaint lodged against the establishment on March 13.

The Alcohol License Review Committee began the process of revoking T Sushi’s liquor license after the restaurant, located at 251 State St., has been closed since January. Under city ordinances, liquor licenses are required to be revoked if not used over a 15-day-period or if it becomes unclear who the owner is, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said.

As T Sushi has been closed for nearly three months and the owner, Teddy Stevens, has ceded control of the restaurant, the city can now take action to retract its liquor license, Mark Woulf, the city’s alcohol policy coordinator said. He added it is unclear who is operating the business.

He said once the owner of an establishment is granted an alcohol license by the city, the owner cannot legally give away control of the liquor license or lend it out.

According to Verveer, the city’s 15-day cap ensures it can maintain a quota of licenses available for businesses. He said this ensures the city’s liquor licenses are being used.

Jennifer Zilavy, an assistant city attorney in Madison, said under current city ordinances the premise cannot be granted another liquor license for one year now that it has been revoked by the committee.

“The way it is now, no license could go in that area for one year,” she said.

However, Verveer said the committee chose to submit an amendment to the ordinance, which would allow a property to have a liquor license within 12 months of the original liquor license being revoked.

The City Council will take up the amendment for final approval at its April 16 meeting.

Verveer said the amendment would allow property owners to rent their establishments out to different owners even if a past owner has the original liquor license revoked, because it is not the landlord’s fault if one of their renters loses their license.

The ordinance, he said, was inspired by the closure of Logan’s Madtown, an establishment at 322 West Johnson St., which closed in December after coming under scrutiny for serving a higher percentage of alcohol than its liquor license allowed.

Verveer added that Logan’s license is technically still pending but it will likely be finalized this summer, which would allow for the application of the new amendment.

Such an amendment, he said, will allow a business or businesses to occupy the former Logan’s location, which is currently abandoned.

“This is not the first time an ordinance that has been on the books for years has come in to question,” Verveer said.