City approves plan for new Garage Pub owners

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission is clearing the way for new owners of the Garage Pub in the Jackson Street parking garage downtown. The commission approved a new lease holder for the space in the city-owned parking garage and endorsed a riverfront liquor license yesterday.

The redevelopment commission acts as landlord for the retail spaces in the city-owned parking garages and Commons downtown.

The commission held a special meeting to hear the requests from new business owners BCP Holdings LLC, who are buying the restaurant and bar from the previous owners. The company plans to continue to operate the Garage Pub with a similar menu and will be enhancing the sports-watching theme of the business on Fourth Street. They plan to add newer model televisions but otherwise will leave the property largely the same.

Commission attorney Stan Gamso said the lease will remain the same under the new owners, with rent of about $4,800 per month.

The new owners expect to close on the deal next week and hope to reopen the business by the end of April or early May. Most of the employees would be asked to return to the business, which has been closed due to COVID-19.

After the commission’s positive recommendation, Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop will write a letter to the liquor license board requesting the company be approved for one of the limited number of riverfront liquor licenses.