By a 2-1 vote, downtown Vicksburg’s newest bar got mayor and aldermen support Friday in its bid to achieve resort status from the Mississippi Department of Revenue. South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman voted against supporting the application by The Pour House, which opened at 614 Clay St. in mid-July.

The Pour House’s owner and manager have said they would like resort status to allow for hard liquor sales and a full-service kitchen. Currently, the bar sells beer but has no food service.

They will still need to jump through several hoops before the Department of Revenue will consider granting resort status — which allows a business to stay open and serve alcohol 24 hours a day, seven days a week. About 10 downtown properties have resort status, which is designated to buildings and not businesses, including the now-vacant Ware House bar complex, The Upper End bar and Eddie Monsour’s at The Biscuit Company.

With the city agreeing to send a letter to the Department of Revenue in support of The Pour House’s application, the bar now needs a letter of support from two civic clubs, as well as a letter each from the police chief and sheriff.

“Their letters are not to support the resort status, but just to say that they’re aware of the business and that they’ll continue to enforce the law in the area,” explained Pour House manager Neil Williams, who added he does not intend to keep the bar open 24-7 even if it gains resort status.

Without city approval, the bar would have had to get 100 signatures from Vicksburg residents supporting its application, City Attorney Lee Davis Thames Jr. told the board. Beauman said the board’s approval was essentially arbitrary, and suggested they let the bar get the 100 signatures.

“Yeah, but why should he have to do that if he wants to do business in downtown Vicksburg, and it’s a legal business?” Mayor Paul Winfield replied. “I want downtown to be a positive, vibrant place, but it can’t be that if we turn our back to potential opportunities for revenue. Whatever we can do to make them successful, I think we need to do it.”

Following the meeting, Williams said he had already collected the 100 signatures in case the city did not agree to support his application.

North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield voted to support the application, but said he was concerned that Building and Inspections Director Victor Gray-Lewis did not even know the bar was in business. Gray-Lewis admitted as much when asked if the bar was thus far in compliance with all city ordinances. After leaving the meeting to check on the status of the bar’s privilege license, he returned to tell the board it is in compliance.

“The thing that bothers me,” Winfield said, “is they brought this to us before and we didn’t have our act together and we delayed it. Anything that should have been done really should have been done before our meeting.”

Williams and Pour House owner Jim Hartner first approached the board seeking city support of their application on Sept. 10. The board took the issue under advisement.

“We just want to help drive downtown tourism and be a part of the community,” Williams said at the Sept. 10 meeting. “(Resort status) would help us increase our revenue with liquor sales until we are able to put in a commercial kitchen.”

The Blue Room II formerly occupied The Pour House space.