The idea of opening a poker room at 18 N. Washington St. gained support from the Oxford Downtown Development Authority Monday night.
By a 5-0 margin, the DDA voted to send a letter to the village Zoning Board of Appeals endorsing the poker room proposed by Oxford resident Rick Lovely as an appropriate use in the C-1 Central Business District.
Lovely and his partners wish to lease the vacant Oxford Antique Mall building in the northeast quadrant and use it to host state-licensed Texas Hold’em poker events on behalf of local nonprofits, which will receive 50 percent of the gross.
Because a poker room is not specifically listed as a permitted use in the C-1 District, the ZBA was asked to give a formal interpretation at its 7 p.m. Monday, March 3 meeting as to whether or not Lovely can operate this type of business at the proposed location.
Lovely told the DDA his poker room could bring in 100-150 players for three or four nights a week, which would bolster surrounding local businesses and make downtown Oxford a destination.
‘We put this card room in people won’t say, ‘I’ve been through Oxford,? they’ll say, ‘I’ve been to Oxford,?? he said. ‘It’s going to be like a great big stop sign right in the middle of the street.?