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Knoxville Council wants more detailed ordinance for planned grocer

The Knoxville City Council Tuesday night discussed the proposed plans to bring a grocery store to town. Piyush Dogra and Harpreet Singh who own Knox Discount Liquor on South Henderson Street in Galesburg plan to open the business in the former Goff’s Appliance building in downtown Knoxville at 222 E. Main Street. Aldermen’s biggest concerns where the percentage of grocery sales versus liquor sales. Proposals in the past for new grocers – as recent as two years ago – have been turned down by city council. The City of Knoxville has not had a grocery store in town since the closure of I.G.A. over eight years ago. A new proposal brought to the council has been met with caution. Knoxville Alderman don’t want a liquor store nor do they want another convenience store in town. City Attorney Rob McCoy said the way the ordinance is written is that 50% of products are “groceries” and 50% is liquor, saying technically, a gas station would qualify as a grocery store. Dogra told the council the store would have three aisles – and one aisle and coolers would be designated to liquor sales. Council decided to table the vote so McCoy could draft an ordinance so that in case plans for the business change, it wouldn’t become another convenience store.

Alderman also approved $1,500 towards the Knoxville Scenic Drive as well as having vendors sign waivers to leave their tents up on the square between the two weekends of the Drive.

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