Hearing set on emergency closure of downtown Champaign bar

Deb Pressey, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·1 min read

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CHAMPAIGN — Champaign city officials are set to conduct a hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday over accusations against a downtown bar that has been temporarily closed by Mayor Deb Feinen.

Acting in her capacity as liquor commissioner, Feinen issued an emergency closure order Jan. 26 for Soma Ultralounge, 320 N. Neil St., C, effective for seven days pending the outcome of the hearing.

The order states that the entity to whom the liquor license was issued "has willfully made false statements as to a material fact of its manager" in its application.

"This bears directly on the question of whether the liquor license itself is valid and whether the manager is legally qualified under city ordinance," city spokesman Jeff Hamilton said.

The hearing will be held in the city council chambers at the City Building, 102 N. Neil St., C.