Longtime Court Avenue bar owner proposes 'casual' bar at former Vaudeville Mews
A space that once held the Vaudeville Mews, a beloved music venue in downtown Des Moines, could get a second life as a bar.
Des Moines-based Randolph Investment Co., owner of 212 Fourth St., seeks a conditional use permit to sell liquor, wine and/or beer there as part of a plan to bring a bar to the space, according to a Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting agenda.
The bar would be operated by longtime Court Avenue business owner Larry Smithson, the owner of the former Big Lars party bar at 217 E. Second St. in the East Village, under his company, BigLars 4th LLC. Smithson also owns The District Bar and Grill, which is in the Court Center at 216 Court Ave., where Zoning Board of Adjustment members recently decided bars in the building could no longer sell alcohol after midnight.
On Facebook, the District also bills itself as Big Lars. It's unclear if Smithson plans to move the bar or open a new concept at the former Vaudeville Mews. He did not immediately return a call for comment.
Vaudeville, an intimate concert hall, was known as a revolving door of edgy, independent acts and touring performers. After 18 years in business, the small, 230-seat performance venue announced its closure on social media in the fall of 2020 due to the pandemic.
According to the summary of the new conditional use permit request, the bar would be housed in 3,526 square feet and would include a 600-square-foot outdoor patio. A Facebook post from the Downtown Neighborhood Association says: "Reportedly, the bar would be a pub with a 'casual feel' with the 'opportunity to play pool and pong on the upper loft area.'"
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The proposal is up for consideration at the city's upcoming Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting Jan. 25.
Beyond obtaining the conditional use permit, Smithson must hold a neighborhood meeting and notify all neighbors within 250 feet of the building of the proposal, according to Des Moines Senior City Planner Frank Dunn-Young.
Downtown Des Moines Neighborhood Association President Brandon Brown told the Des Moines Register the initial reaction from neighbors appears to be frustration over another bar coming to the Court Avenue district.
"Looks like some people were hoping ... that a similar business model would take over where there would be live events," Brown said. Vaudeville "was a different vibe than what you typically think of when you think of Court Avenue."
Still, with limited knowledge of the proposal, Brown said he's open to hearing more about the plans but hopes it will offer an element of diversity to the entertainment district.
"I'm hoping the proposal will offer something unique that the downtown doesn't already have," he said.
The Downtown Des Moines Neighborhood Association announced a meeting with Smithson at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at 216 Court Ave., Suite 100. It invited the community to ask questions and discuss the conditional use permit ahead of the ZBOA's public discussion at the end of January.
More:Vaudeville Mews shuts its doors, a victim of the pandemic
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines bar owner proposes bar at former Vaudeville Mews downtown
