City Council OKs lounge in West Tuscaloosa

In a 6-1 vote, the Tuscaloosa City Council approved a new business coming to West Tuscaloosa, despite concerns from the council member who serves that area.

Spades Restaurant and Lounge will be located in the 1700 block of Culver Road next to Hay Court apartments. The same location formerly held Good Times Club, which was shut down by the city after concerns and complaints.

The lone dissenter was Council Member Matthew Wilson, who represents District 1. Wilson said he’s concerned that the business could turn into a night club environment like Good Times before it.

Spades’ owners said they’ve put money and time into ensuring the future safety of the surrounding community and their patrons, and said they’d be happy to speak with their new neighbors to alleviate their concerns.

“We actually did a petition and walked around door to door in Hay Court,” said Laquintan Toney. “We talked to a lot of those people, and I’m very glad we did because we don’t live there, so it was good to hear how they feel.”

<p>Now that it has the go-ahead, the business should be open within the next few weeks, Toney said.</p>