Because of two apparent mistakes by city officials, the Iowa Supreme Court says a Davenport strip club will be allowed to re-open for business. Following a three-year legal battle, Supreme Court justices backed what lower courts had already ruled that the Chorus Line, which closed in 2008, has an existing Adult Entertainment Business License that does not need renewal.
The Chorus Line is located near Dr. John’s, an adult store. But Davenport, in an attempt to prevent red-light districts, restricts adjacent adult businesses and refused to give the Chorus Line a license when a new owner wanted to reopen it. The problem is, the city had licensed Dr. John’s as a retail boutique, not as an adult store.
When the city realized its mistake, city administrator Craig Malin visited Dr. John’s twice to verify that it is, in fact, an adult store. But the courts say that too was a mistake because Malin is the hearing administrator for adult business zoning disputes and should remain impartial.
By Phil Roberts, Davenport