A building on Washington Street that once housed a bar could soon be home to a teen nightclub after action Tuesday by the Vicksburg Board of Zoning Appeals.

The board Tuesday night granted Vicksburg businesswoman Tomeka Thomas an exception to open the business.

Thomas, owner of Fancy Furs, a pet grooming business, sought the exception to open the 7/11 Teen Dance Hall at 2106 Washington St. The club, which is north of the intersection of Washington and Klein streets is in a C-4 commercial zone, which allows restaurants and nightclubs only through a special exception. The board voted 4-0 to approve her request.

J.E. “Brother” Blackburn, who oversees the property for his mother and is renting the building to Thomas, said it housed Debra Franco’s dance studio about 20 years ago, and has had a variety of tenants since.

Zoning administrator Dalton McCarty said anyone objecting to the board’s decision has 10 days to appeal it to the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen, which will hold a hearing and vote whether to uphold or overturn the zoning board’s decision.

The building housing the club once was the home of A-1 Studios, which Vicksburg police closed during a raid in January because of business license and fire code violations. Vicksburg Fire Marshal Leslie Decareaux said Thomas has addressed the fire code issues.

Thomas said she will not cater to adults or serve alcohol at the club, which will be open from 7 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

“We may go no later than 10 (p.m.) on some nights,” she said. “That’s when most of the parents come to pick up their kids.”

Vicksburg’s curfew for children younger than 18 is 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday when school is in session. The summer curfew is midnight.

Thomas said she will ask patrons for identification if necessary to ensure that no one older than 17 is allowed in.

“Most of the children coming to the club are too young to have IDs,” she said. “But if we have to ask for ID, we will.”

Thomas said parents of children coming to the club are invited to come in and become involved with any club-sponsored activities.

She said the club will have either live music or a DJ and will charge admission. She does not believe the business’ sound system will be a nuisance.

“We will keep the doors closed, and the building is made of brick, so that will keep the sound down,” she said.

Right now, she said, the building’s capacity is limited to 50 people by the city’s fire code, pending improvements to the building’s fire escapes.

Because most of her patrons are driven to the club by parents, Thomas said, she does not foresee a parking problem. She said Blackburn has given her permission to use parking lots near the building if needed.

Thomas said she has had the building for several months and uses it to host children’s birthday parties, which she said will continue.

“What I want to do is provide a place that will offer teen activities like when I was young,” Thomas, 36, a native of Las Vegas, said. “This (the club) is a perfect set-up for kids. (It’s) a controlled environment.”

The four zoning board members in attendance Tuesday night were Tommie Rawlings, Warren Jones, Fred Katzenmeyer and Mark Corum.