Coakley's Cornerstone Approved By Liquor Board

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD — The owner of Coakley's Pub will be able sell alcohol in the Vancheries building on Union Avenue that has sat vacant for years.

Margie Coakley and her attorney appeared for a standing-room-only hearing in front of the Harford County Liquor Control Board in Bel Air Wednesday afternoon for an approximately two-hour discussion of the proposal.

"It's like the cornerstone of the town," Coakley told the Harford County Liquor Control Board, describing her vision for the store as "like a tourist stop."

The Cornerstone will be complementary to Coakley's Pub on Saint John Street, she said. In addition to selling liquor for people to get for carryout, it will have shelves featuring items from other Havre de Grace downtown shops, such as decoys and gifts that say "Havre de Grace" on them, Coakley said. The Cornerstone would point people to other stores in the shopping district.

Fishing licenses, coolers with ice and worms may be offered in the future to "go after the fishing market," she added.

The reason Coakley appeared before the liquor board was to get permission to sell alcohol from The Cornerstone as part of the Coakley's Pub liquor license, which allows for off-sale purchases.

The Cornerstone building is now on the same lot as Coakley's Pub since lines had to be reviewed and redrawn through the city's permitting process, her attorney Eric McLauchlin explained. As a result, it is considered part of the same premises.

The four members of the liquor board present at the hearing unanimously approved the proposal. There were approximately 13 people who testified at the hearing, with eight for and five against the project.

Photos of images presented to the liquor board by Coakley's.