Avondale Liquors at 1365 N. Federal Blvd. is just south of Colfax Avenue and southwest of RTD’s Decatur-Federal station. (BusinessDen file)
A west Denver liquor store that sits at a crime hotspot has been forced to shutter.
Molly Duplechian, head of the city’s Department of Excise and License, on Thursday declined to renew the retail liquor license held by Avondale Liquors, at 1365 Federal Blvd.
The store’s previous license expired last July, although Avondale was allowed to continue operating until the final decision on the renewal.
Duplechian determined that the liquor store, owned since 2020 by Zaid Ghebremeskel, has operated in a way that “adversely affects the public health, welfare, and safety of the immediate neighborhood.”
She wrote that Avondale’s failure to report criminal activity on or near its property has “created a space where individuals feel free to use and sell drugs, and to commit violent criminal acts,” including assault and armed carjacking.
“It is concerning that the owner of Avondale testified at hearing that she “never see[s] crime happening in the neighborhood … The Licensee is either refusing to see what is blatantly occurring or is willfully turning a blind eye,” Duplechian wrote.
Duplechian also concluded that Avondale had failed to comply with conditions placed on its license the last time it was renewed two years ago. Avondale was required to have a security guard present during certain hours, to not allow loitering and to clean the property at least twice a day, among other things.
In renewal hearings last year, Denver Assistant District Attorney Zach McCabe testified that police have identified five locations in Denver that have experienced persistent criminal activity for generations. One of them is Paco Sanchez Park, which sits west and south of Avondale.
For years, neighbors have argued that the store contributed to the crime, while Avondale argued it was a victim of it.
Avondale has long feared losing its license. The store sued Denver twice in recent years, both times asking a judge to rule that the city couldn’t take into account the needs and wants of the surrounding neighborhood when making licensing decisions.
Both lawsuits were dismissed on the grounds that Avondale had not been harmed, because the store at the time had not lost its license. The most recent dismissal occurred earlier this month.
An attorney representing Avondale didn’t respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Avondale Liquors at 1365 N. Federal Blvd. is just south of Colfax Avenue and southwest of RTD’s Decatur-Federal station. (BusinessDen file)
A west Denver liquor store that sits at a crime hotspot has been forced to shutter.
Molly Duplechian, head of the city’s Department of Excise and License, on Thursday declined to renew the retail liquor license held by Avondale Liquors, at 1365 Federal Blvd.
The store’s previous license expired last July, although Avondale was allowed to continue operating until the final decision on the renewal.
Duplechian determined that the liquor store, owned since 2020 by Zaid Ghebremeskel, has operated in a way that “adversely affects the public health, welfare, and safety of the immediate neighborhood.”
She wrote that Avondale’s failure to report criminal activity on or near its property has “created a space where individuals feel free to use and sell drugs, and to commit violent criminal acts,” including assault and armed carjacking.
“It is concerning that the owner of Avondale testified at hearing that she “never see[s] crime happening in the neighborhood … The Licensee is either refusing to see what is blatantly occurring or is willfully turning a blind eye,” Duplechian wrote.
Duplechian also concluded that Avondale had failed to comply with conditions placed on its license the last time it was renewed two years ago. Avondale was required to have a security guard present during certain hours, to not allow loitering and to clean the property at least twice a day, among other things.
In renewal hearings last year, Denver Assistant District Attorney Zach McCabe testified that police have identified five locations in Denver that have experienced persistent criminal activity for generations. One of them is Paco Sanchez Park, which sits west and south of Avondale.
For years, neighbors have argued that the store contributed to the crime, while Avondale argued it was a victim of it.
Avondale has long feared losing its license. The store sued Denver twice in recent years, both times asking a judge to rule that the city couldn’t take into account the needs and wants of the surrounding neighborhood when making licensing decisions.
Both lawsuits were dismissed on the grounds that Avondale had not been harmed, because the store at the time had not lost its license. The most recent dismissal occurred earlier this month.
An attorney representing Avondale didn’t respond to a request for comment Thursday.
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