One of Casper's 35 retail liquor licenses has been sitting unused for roughly three years, and may sit for another two after a Casper City Council meeting Tuesday.

When a protested bar closed in 2005, Platte River Crossing, LLC, one of entrepreneur Mick McMurry's entities, purchased the liquor license, said Dick Bratton, Jonah Inc. manager.

The allotted two years passed with no business using the license, at which point the city granted the company one more year.

That extra year ended in June. If the liquor license was not used by then, state law requires it revert back to the city for resale.

As a result, McMurry requested the license be transferred from Platte River Crossing, LLC to Forward Development Company, LLC, another McMurry entity.

When Councilwoman Lynne Whalen asked why the license was not yet in use, Bratton said the company is searching for a "good" use of the license.

He explained that instead of simply complying with state statute - which says a liquor license is in use if the owner purchases $2,000 worth of liquor a year - the group wants to open a restaurant that will help Casper.

"What we want to do now is not just open another liquor store or lounge," Bratton said.

They are considering restaurants similar to Applebee's and Outback Steakhouse, and while there are no plans in the works, Bratton said an Olive Garden or Chili's Bar and Grill would be a nice addition to Casper.

Bratton said McMurry owns land both on the east and west sides of town, and a combination of land and a retail liquor license could be an attractive option to a national restaurant.

Councilman Keith Goodenough said he worried that if a license sat, it could artificially inflate the price of the limited number of retail licenses.

Bratton said liquor licenses are sold for roughly $250,000 to $350,000 right now.

But even if the license was used, it's possible to simply purchase $2,000 worth of liquor and keep it in a commercially zoned establishment, said V.H. McDonald, the city administrative services director. That approach has been taken in the past in Casper and other areas.

Mayor Paul Bertoglio said he thought this was an honest request to keep a license and actively look for a use that's positive for the Casper community.

The liquor license transfer ultimately passed 6-3.

Contact city reporter Christine Robinson at (307) 266-0639 or christine.robinson@trib.com

In other council news

* The Casper City Council set Feb. 19 as the public hearing dates for several liquor license transfers as well as the Mesa Addition number 5 and a proposed establishment near Wyoming Boulevard and Sunrise Shopping Center.

* The council approved for the final time the Cobblestone Addition, an affordable housing addition in Paradise Valley. The council also approved The Greeway Park Addition, formerly called The Preserve.

* The next council meeting will be a work session at 4:30 p.m. on Monday in City Hall, 200 N. David St.