Gay Nightclub in Danger of Closing

A Cheshire Bridge Road nightclub is in jeopardy of closing its doors.

Neighborhood Planning Unit-F deferred a vote on Monday night to consider a permanent liquor license for Jungle Club because owner Richard Cherskov failed to address the Lindridge Martin Manor Neighborhood Association before his presentation to the planning unit.

Typically, liquor license applicants seek approval from the neighborhood associations before presenting to the planning unit.

Applications move onto the License & Review Board run by the Atlanta Police Department after they are heard at the planning level. The final decision rests in the hands of the mayor.

The 5-4 vote Monday night pushed the decision on the license to March, and Cherskov and his lawyer said that’s not enough time to get approval before the temporary license expires in April.

“If we have to do these meetings in a certain order, we are going to be closed down,” Cherskov said.

Cherskov said he missed the February neighborhood association meeting because of a miscommunication of the meeting date.

Jungle Club, a gay nightclub, opened in the mid 2000s with a full liquor license, but in an effort to save money, former club owners decided against renewing the license at the end of 2011.

The former owners saved $5,000 by not renewing the license, but the cost-cutting move may cost Cherskov and his 15 employees a paycheck.

He was granted a temporary license in December when he took over as owner, but the license expires April 2 and he is unable to get an extension.

Cherskov will plead his case to the liquor license review board on March 6.

Jungle Club is located at 2115 Faulkner Road, just off Cheshire Bridge Road.

Do you agree with the NPU-F decision to defer the vote? Tell us in the comments!