(a) A coliseum permit shall allow the retail sale of alcoholic liquor in any portion of the coliseum, including the coliseum club, to be consumed on the premises of the coliseum except that the retail sale of alcoholic liquor shall not be permitted under this permit in the arena of the coliseum during a sporting event, concert, exhibition, trade show, entertainment presentation or similar function and in any public restaurant located on the premises. A coliseum permit shall allow the retail sale of alcoholic liquor in the arena of the coliseum during a convention, banquet, meeting, dance, fund-raising function or similar function provided sales of alcoholic liquor shall occur at a coliseum within one hour of the scheduled end of a function at such coliseum. The annual fee for a coliseum permit shall be two thousand two hundred fifty dollars.

(b) A coliseum concession permit shall allow the retail sale and consumption of beer, in paper, plastic or aluminum containers only, at sporting events within the arena and at concession stands within the arena or outside the arena but directly connected to the arena or in areas adjacent to the hallways for public passage around the arena. The coliseum concession permit shall allow the retail sale and consumption of beer, in paper, plastic or aluminum containers only, at such concession stands only during (1) a trade show for which a ticket is required for admission; (2) an exhibition for which a ticket is required for admission; or (3) a convention. No sales of beer shall occur at a coliseum concession stand within one hour of the scheduled end of a function at such coliseum. The annual fee for a coliseum concession permit shall be one thousand two hundred fifty dollars.

(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, neither the permittee nor the backer of a coliseum permit or a coliseum concession permit need be a proprietor if the coliseum for which such permit is being applied for is owned by a municipality or a municipal authority. The Department of Consumer Protection shall have discretionary powers to waive requirements where physical conditions make compliance an impossibility.

(d) “Coliseum” means a structure which contains an enclosed roofed arena constructed to seat not less than two thousand people, and any related facility which is a part of, adjacent to or connected therewith by enclosed passageways, which structure is used for sporting events, exhibitions, trade shows, entertainment presentations, conventions, banquets, meetings, dances or fund-raising functions or similar functions or a structure such as a minor league baseball stadium built around an athletic field without an enclosed roof arena constructed to seat not less than five thousand people and containing at least ten thousand square feet of enclosed buildings, and any related facility which is part of, adjacent to or connected therewith by enclosed passageways, which structure is used for sporting events, exhibitions, trade shows, entertainment presentations, conventions, banquets, meetings, dances or fund-raising functions or similar functions. “Arena” means all that portion of a coliseum containing a floor area enclosed by fixed seats. “Coliseum club” means an enclosed facility within a coliseum kept, used and maintained as a place where alcoholic liquor or food is served for sale at retail for consumption on the coliseum premises but which does not necessarily serve hot meals and need not have a kitchen or dining room but shall have employed therein at all times an adequate number of employees who shall serve only the following categories of people: (1) Persons who are in the coliseum to attend an event or function; and (2) persons who are in the coliseum club to attend a private party or banquet.

(P.A. 73-533, S. 2, 9; P.A. 75-641, S. 9; P.A. 77-614, S. 165, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 80, 85, 136; P.A. 80-482, S. 4, 170, 191, 345, 348; P.A. 93-139, S. 32; P.A. 95-161, S. 4, 9; 95-195, S. 37, 83; 95-336, S. 3, 5; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(d); P.A. 04-169, S. 17; 04-189, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 350; P.A. 16-117, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 75-641 deleted reference to “subdivision (15)” of Sec. 30-1 in Subsec. (c); P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced liquor control commission with division of liquor control within the department of business regulation, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-482 made division of liquor control an independent department and abolished the department of business regulation, overriding provision of same act which would have placed the division within the public safety department; P.A. 93-139 made technical changes, added the annual fees for a coliseum permit and a coliseum concession permit and added the definitions of “coliseum”, “arena” and “coliseum club” as Subsec. (d); P.A. 95-161 amended Subsec. (a) to prohibit the sale of beer at a coliseum within one hour of the scheduled end of a function, amended Subsec. (b) to prohibit the sale of beer at a coliseum concession stand within one hour of the scheduled end of a function and amended Subsec. (d) to include a minor league stadium in the definition of “coliseum”, effective June 27, 1995; P.A. 95-195 amended Subsec. (c) to substitute Department of Consumer Protection for Department of Liquor Control, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-336 authorized sales of alcoholic liquor within one hour of the scheduled end of a function at a coliseum where previously such sales were prohibited, effective July 6, 1995; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 and P.A. 04-169 replaced Department of Consumer Protection with Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 increased fee in Subsec. (a) from $2,000 to $2,250, increased fee in Subsec. (b) from $1,000 to $1,250 and made technical changes; P.A. 16-117 amended Subsec. (b) by adding references to plastic or aluminum containers, effective July 1, 2016.