Board approves bottled liquor to go at South Station

The Boston Licensing Board today unanimously approved plans to replace the closed Tavitas Mexican restaurant inside South Station with a liquor store.

All of the goods at the proposed Land of Beer, Wine & Spirit would be on shelves behind the counter, the store would have a fulltime "greeter" at the door to open and close it for patrons and it would supplement the once over the clerks would give prospective purchasers with a license/ID scanner.

Licensing Board Chairwoman Kathleen Joyce said those "thoughtful" steps helped convince her to vote yes for a packie license for the store.

"It's not like somebody can run in, grab something and run out," she said, responding to opposition from Transit Police, which expressed concern about increasing the availability of potent potables inside the station. She said that Transit Police work closely with Boston Police - who have jurisdiction outside the station doors - so any problems involving people who start inside then move outside would be quickly nipped in the bud.

She added the store agreed to - and the board will write into its license - a prohibition on the sale of micro-sized bottles of alcohol.

Joyce said she felt the store would be similar to the liquor store built at the Downtown Crossing Roche Bros., which is basically built into the Orange Line station there and which has had no problems even as it provides a service to commuters.

Commissioner Liam Curran said he was initially concerned about people living it up with their bottles on commuter-rail trains, but commuter-rail operator Keolis did not tell the board how it felt one way or the other, and if Keolis doesn't seem to care, then he said he wouldn't be worried, either. Amtrak specifically told the board it had no concerns.