City recommends rescinding alcohol license suspension for The Fieldhouse

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, following a public hearing, the Iowa City Council voted to suspend the alcohol license for The Fieldhouse Bar & Grill ("The Fieldhouse") for 14 days. Because The Fieldhouse appealed the decision, the suspension had not yet taken effect.

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, during a review of an unrelated matter, City staff came across a 2015 ordinance that created Rooftop Service Areas in Iowa City. As part of that ordinance, Section 4-2-2(B) of the Iowa City Code, the provision used as the basis for The Fieldhouse's suspension, was deleted.

After ordinances are passed by the City Council, the City Code is updated by a third-party codifier, which is standard practice. However, due to a codifier error, Section 4-2-2(B) continued to appear in both paper and electronic versions of the City Code.

City staff confirmed this morning that the deletion of Section 4-2-2(B) remains the current law. Staff have notified The Fieldhouse ownership and the Iowa Department of Revenue and will recommend that the City Council rescind the suspension at its next meeting.

Because the suspension never took effect, alcohol sales at The Fieldhouse have not been interrupted. Municipal infractions filed against The Fieldhouse for zoning and refuse violations remain unchanged. Renewal of The Fieldhouse's alcohol license will be considered by Council on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2026.