Bill on Liquor License Could End Dispute With Md. Hotel

The Maryland General Assembly is considering legislation that would impose the state's highest annual liquor licensing fee for a retail establishment on the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, the 2,000-room hotel that will anchor the National Harbor development in Prince George's County.

The bill would create a new class of liquor license for convention center hotels with at least 1,500 rooms in Prince George's County, charging $20,000 each year for the license. The Gaylord hotel, the only facility that now qualifies, would have to apply to the Prince George's liquor board to receive the license.

Passage of the legislation, written with the approval of Gaylord executives, would end a political struggle over the resort's liquor license that had landed briefly in court because Gaylord was worried that it would not get a liquor license in time for the April opening of the hotel, the centerpiece of the 300-acre, $4 billion National Harbor development. The development will include 10 acres of office space and eight bars and restaurants.

In November, Gaylord settled the lawsuit against the five-member Prince George's County Board of License Commissioners that had alleged that the board was unfairly denying the hotel a license.

The license commissioners had argued that there was no appropriate Maryland permit for a hotel with so many rooms and restaurants. A bill to address the problem foundered in the legislature last year, in part because lawmakers representing the southern Prince George's resort were angered that the bill was sponsored by a delegate from a different part of the county.

As part of the settlement, the board granted the facility a standard hotel liquor license with a fee of about $2,887. That license expires May 31, and the license created by the bill now under consideration would replace it.

Representatives for Gaylord Entertainment of Nashville and National Harbor's developer, Peterson Cos. of Fairfax, said they were pleased with the legislation and hoped for its smooth passage.

"The Prince George's delegation has absolutely worked well with us, and we're excited about the process," said Gregory S. Proctor, a Gaylord lobbyist.

National Harbor will also include other hotels, restaurants, condominiums and office buildings, and will be the largest non-casino, mixed-used development on the Eastern Seaboard.

A companion bill also under consideration would set rules for licenses for Prince George's Waterfront Entertainment complexes like National Harbor. It would allow as many as 40 liquor licenses to be issued to restaurants and hotels at National Harbor, requiring that 10 percent be held by minority enterprises.

The bill would also permit the development to serve alcohol at outdoor concerts and festivals on its property, which faces the Potomac.

The Prince George's Senate delegation will vote on the two liquor bills next week, starting the legislative process, said Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D), chairman of the delegation and the bills' sponsor. The bills have the support of most delegation members as well as top Senate leaders, Muse said.