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A drawn out battle between the University of Tampa, the First Baptist Church of Tampa and The Retreat has come down to a 1946 photo of a bar.
The Retreat’s owners are claiming that the location sold liquor in ages past, and that they should be allowed to grandfather in the old liquor license to their new location. UT and the church disagree.
‘We were dealt a severe injustice,’ said Dean of Students Bob Ruday, according to the Tampa Tribune. He added that UT does not want to ‘liberalize in any way the consumption of alcohol.’
The Retreat took over the old Mouse Trap saloon after a series of underage drinking violations drove the old owners out. The new tenants have instituted high-tech scanners for catching fake IDs.
UT has filed an appeal of the decision to allow liquor sales, and the hearing will be heard by city council members at 1:30 p.m. on March 5. This meeting is open to the public.
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