Judge: Miami Beach can end liquor sales in area at 2 a.m.

Miami Beach officials can move forward with plans to end alcohol sales after 2 a.m. in certain parts of South Beach, an internationally famous tourist spot

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Miami Beach officials can move forward with plans to end alcohol sales after 2 a.m. in certain parts of South Beach, an internationally famous tourist spot.

A Miami-Dade circuit judge ruled against a challenge by Story nightclub on Tuesday to an ordinance passed last month by Miami Beach city commissioners, according to court records. The ordinance forces businesses with a capacity of more than 100 patrons in the South of Fifth neighborhood, located at the southernmost tip of Miami Beach, to stop selling alcohol at 2 a.m. instead of 5 a.m.

“This is a residential neighborhood that should not have to endure 24-hour nightclubs,” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said in a Twitter post. “Hopefully we can begin enforcement very soon.”

Attorneys for Story nightclub, which has room for more than 1,000 guests, argued that the exception for bars and restaurants that hold fewer than 100 people was arbitrary.

The judge rejected the nightclub's arguments and refused to temporarily block the ordinance while the business appeals.

Miami Beach city officials have been trying to pass alcohol curfews for several years, especially during spring break. Most previous attempts to limit alcohol sales have been struck down by courts.