Alleged
incidents
of
public
oral
sex
and
prostitution
put
the
liquor
license
and
the
future
of
the
long-standing
gay
bar
Phoenix
in
jeopardy.
On
Oct.
6,
the
Atlanta
Police
Department
sent
Phoenix
bar
owner
Evelyn
Downing
a
due
cause
letter
saying
it
is
seeking
to
revoke
the
bar’s
liquor
license.
A
hearing
before
the
License
&
Review
Board
to
hear
arguments
in
the
case
is
scheduled
for
Nov.
29,
according
to
Sgt.
E.
Davis.
A
Nov.
15
hearing
was
postponed.
Police
allege
that
on
April
12,
Phoenix
management
allowed
two
men
to
engage
in
oral
sex
at
the
bar
while
other
patrons
watched.
Other
charges
include
operating
and
serving
alcohol
after
hours
on
March
27
and
a
customer
offering
an
undercover
officer
money
for
sex
in
the
parking
lot
on
April
21.
Downing
could
not
be
reached
this
week
for
comment.
A
bar
employee
declined
comment.
The
venue
is
located
at
567
Ponce
De
Leon
Avenue
Northeast,
a
few
steps
from
the
headquarters
of
the
Atlanta
Police
Department
and
City
Hall
East.
Hoping
to
see
the
bar
closed
are
members
of
the
Midtown
Neighbors
Association
and
residents
of
the
nearby
Glen
Iris
Lofts,
who
are
plan
to
bus
people
to
the
hearing
this
month,
according
to
a
notice
on
the
MNA
web
site.
“Residents
from
that
area
have
assisted
the
police
in
documenting
a
case
against
the
license
being
renewed.
MNA
is
hiring
a
bus
to
take
Midtown
residents
to
the
meeting
in
a
show
of
support
for
the
residents
and
police
who
did
all
the
work
on
this
case,”
the
notice
states.
An
MNA
representative
could
not
be
reached
for
comment
this
week.