The Berkeley City Council voted unanimously Dec. 15 to approve a special land use request for Berkeley Entertainment LLC to operate a live entertainment theater at the former Rite Aid location in downtown Berkeley and to grant the company an on‑premise development liquor license under the Michigan Liquor Control Code.

Planning staff (Kristen Kaplansky) told council that the planning commission recommended approval after a public hearing and that an engineering memo by Spalding DeDecker concluded the area has sufficient parking to support routine events up to about 550 attendees. Kaplansky said larger events (the applicant described occasional events up to 800 people) will require a preapproved parking and egress coordination plan with staff and public safety before a certificate of occupancy is issued. "The gist of the parking memo was that there is enough parking in the area to support the everyday use of the property up to about 550 people," Kaplansky said.

Applicant representatives described operational experience in other cities and contingency plans for large events. Applicant Glenn Wellum said patrons frequently dine at nearby restaurants and then walk to shows, and that the use typically generates positive spillover for neighboring businesses. "In Rochester, we had very, very similar conversations with city council there," he said, describing contingency plans and noting most nights draw 350–550 people.

Kaplansky also clarified staffing and occupancy numbers: planning staff told council that the planning commission recorded an expectation of about 20 employees for the venue, not the larger employee counts that had been discussed earlier.

The council included a condition that the applicant must coordinate with city staff on any event expected to push occupancy beyond 550 people and finalize an event parking and egress plan before a certificate of occupancy will be issued. Council member Hennen moved the special‑use approval with those conditions; the motion passed on a unanimous roll call. The subsequent liquor‑license application for the same addresses (cited under MCL 436.1521) was also recommended by staff and approved unanimously.

Next steps: staff will continue coordinating with the applicant on a municipal lease for an adjacent parking parcel and on the event coordination plan for larger events; the applicant estimated a realistic opening in late spring.

Vote details: motion to approve special land use moved by Council member Hennen and seconded by Council member Patterson; liquor‑license approval moved by Council member Patterson and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Gavin. Roll‑call votes were recorded with all present council members voting "yes."