After testimony from nearly a dozen residents and police accounts of repeated violence and loud noise, the Omaha City Council chose not to automatically renew the liquor license of downtown’s Silhouettes Lounge.
On Tuesday, the council voted 6-1 to require the owner of Silhouettes Lounge, 314 S. 16th St., to re-submit a formal application to serve liquor at the club.
Councilman Ben Gray opposed the decision.
The testifying residents, who live within earshot of the club, painted a distressing picture. One woman played a video she had taken from inside her apartment building that showed two men fighting and agitated people blocking most of 16th Street. Yells and screams also could be heard.
Other residents said that every weekend, if the shouting didn’t wake them up, then the resulting police sirens yanked them out of sleep. Omaha police confirmed that they, too, prepare for disturbances after last call at Silhouettes on weekends.
A few council members expressed dismay at the video and personal stories.
Silhouettes owner Courtney Kellogg said he had increased security in recent months to address the concerns and stopped serving alcohol before 2 a.m.
He added that residents never brought their concerns to him.
Two people speaking in support of Kellogg said they thought the race of clientele was a factor. One man took offense at an elderly resident’s description of the lounge as a “rapper bar.”
Silhouettes’ supporters and opponents will have another chance to sound off when Kellogg completes a new application for a liquor license. The council then will make a recommendation to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission.
In the meantime, the lounge will continue to operate and serve alcohol, Kellogg said.
Contact the writer:
402-444-3131, sam.womack@owh.com
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