Nightclub hoping for approval

By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 16, 2006


The owner of Mavericks Sports Cabaret is hoping Burnaby city council will reject its own planning department recommendation and give him approval to open a 4,500-square foot private liquor store in the new $130-million Centrepoint development going up across the street from the Metrotown malls.

Brent Shaw said his nightclub is already suffering because of Burnaby's refusal to allow it to stay open until 3 a.m. on weekends, and the new liquor store will help make up for some of that loss of business.

"It's a crisis situation," Shaw told the Burnaby NOW last week. "Business has dropped some, an awful lot, to the point where the (store) would help it substantially."

Shaw, who is hoping to pitch his case at the Sept. 18 council meeting, said his liquor store proposal has been caught in the middle of a fight between city hall and the provincial government over Burnaby's desire to have four new government-run 'signature' stores in the city.

Under guidelines approved last May, Burnaby will only allow new private liquor stores in town centre areas where a government-run 'signature' store is already located. City hall wants four of the signature stores, even though there are currently only 14 such stores in the entire province.

Shaw believes the signature store dispute could drag on for years, leaving his license in limbo and his business suffering as a result.

"The problem is government in general," he said. "They can't work together. But the city does have a certain power to push this through, and I think if they were as fair in dealing with us as they were in dealing with others, then they'd put this through and let us make some money.

"Everybody is passing the buck, but the city has the power to make a decision."

Shaw also said that he has built Maverick's into a reputable nightclub in the 11 years since he bought the former Diego's at Kingsway and Sperling. "It had a fairly undesirable crowd when we took it over, and we've turned it around," Shaw said. "We've employed 20 to 25 people and we've been open-minded to donations for events like ball tournaments and charity drives."