The owner of a yet-to-be-opened Mexican restaurant is working to get a liquor license secured for the new venture.

During Monday night’s meeting, the Genoa Township Board again approved a second application for a Class C liquor license to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission for the former owner of Mexicali Allies. A vote from the township board is required by the state, which makes all of the ultimate recommendations in whether a license is granted or not. The board originally granted the needed approval last July and sent it on to the Commission. However, at Monday’s meeting owner Sandra Blake expressed that she has not heard anything and then learned the application expired in November. She detailed longstanding issues with her standard mailing address and requested action for a second time, and the board obliged.

Mexicali Allies shut down in May of 2017 due to a landlord dispute and a lawsuit resulted, which has since been settled. Blake is continuing work towards opening a restaurant in the new Howell Town Center at 2608 East Grand River, although the name is expected to change. Blake indicated that construction work should take 6 to 8 weeks and the goal is to have it done by April 1st. (JM)