By now it has become a fairly familiar story. A full moon rises over Lake Monona, a silent menace approaches from the west, and the citizens of Madison are nearly duped into supporting a project with a much more sinister side. However, the recent saga that has played out over the past three months involving Waukesha-based restaurateur Scott Acker and his Hall of Fame Grill was no Scooby-Doo mystery. It was an honest project that would have been an asset to downtown. The developer sought to put $4 million of his own money into the area, and now is only putting quotes along the lines of “Now I know what everybody meant” into the Wisconsin State Journal. So, what looked doubtful after a July Alcohol License Review Committee meeting was confirmed dead Sept. 6, when Mr. Acker withdrew his proposal.
The Hall of Fame Grill, a combination banquet hall (capacity 300), fine dining restaurant (capacity 150), and ESPN Zone-style entertainment area (capacity 450), was proposed to fill the still-vacant space in University Square at Lake and Johnson Streets. Proponents point to the ample parking, entertainment attractions, and full seating capacity (with just 36 bar stools) for everyone as proof that this is not just another bar. Opponents cite the fact that it sells alcohol as proof that it is.
To be fair, there were legitimate concerns with the project as it was originally presented in July. By not specifying earlier closing times for the fine dining restaurant and banquet hall, Mr. Acker left his proposal open to fears of 900 drunks being turned loose on the streets of Madison at once. Nevertheless, the Hall of Fame group was willing to go back and rework their proposal to accommodate concerns raised by the ALRC and the community at large, present it again in September and hopefully gain approval.
But that’s not how the story goes. Thankfully our society has stalwart defenders who kept the insidious Mr. Acker and his ilk from worming their way into our downtown, reworked plan or not. Just as surely as Cinderella’s coach turned back into a pumpkin at midnight, Mr. Acker morphs into a werewolf and his restaurant/bar into a veritable speakeasy once darkness falls. Ald. Michael Schumacher, District 18, saw right through this ruse, even if we didn’t, and rather than allow Mr. Acker and Co. a second chance, voted instead to deliver a silver bullet to the heart of one of Madison’s most promising restaurant proposal in years.
In lieu of giving this restaurant a second chance, Mr. Schumacher is hoping to modify the Alcohol License Density Plan to make it easier for other (not-yet-existing) restaurant/bar/entertainment areas to qualify for alcohol licenses.
The story gets even more confusing when you find out that Mr. Schumacher voted in favor of a 550-person capacity bar/restaurant at the same site about two years ago — and when you find out that Mr. Schumacher agrees with a Downtown Madison, Inc. study, the university and countless other entities that believe a multi-age entertainment destination is needed downtown. Especially one that doesn’t involve “Gritty Sauce.”
The story gets downright kooky when Mr. Schumacher tries to explain why the Hall of Fame violates the ALDP. His reasoning is that since, at certain hours of the night, alcohol sales will outweigh food sales, the restaurant is effectively a bar, regardless of the overall food/alcohol sales breakdown. Well, that’s not how we see it, and that’s not how the city’s attorney sees it either. To simply turn down the idea because “it looked and felt like a bar being pushed into a restaurant” is ridiculous. You can keep using your instincts, Mr. Schumacher, but we’ll stick to the facts.
