The Junction seeks liquor license at former Patron Nightclub location
New company owned by former Patron co-owner Anna Arellanes will face an Oct. 13 public hearing
A new bar called The Junction could replace Patron Nightclub at 309 N. Broadway in Cortez, less than three months after the City Council declined to renew Patron’s liquor license.
The Cortez City Council voted 7-0 on Sept. 22 to schedule an Oct. 13 public hearing on a new tavern liquor license sought by Junction Enterprises LLC. The vote was procedural and did not approve the license.
The application identifies Anna B. Arellanes as the sole owner of Junction Enterprises. Arellanes previously co-owned Patron with her husband, Saudiel Arellanes.
The filing is for a new liquor license rather than a renewal or transfer of Patron’s former license. Junction Enterprises was formed July 29 and filed its application with the city Aug. 17, according to records included in the council packet.
The application also includes a five-year lease between Junction Enterprises and Centenario LLC for the building and parking lot at 309 N. Broadway. The lease runs through August 2031.
City Clerk Danielle Wells told council that state law requires the city to consider the needs and desires of the surrounding neighborhood and determine whether the applicant is of good character.
Notice of the hearing will be posted at the premises and published in The Journal. Council designated the entire Cortez city limits as the neighborhood to be considered during the licensing process.
Councilmember Clarisa Osborn said she was “happy to see the application” but had questions about “why going this route,” which she said she would save for the public hearing.
Osborn made the motion to schedule the hearing, and Councilmember April Randle seconded it. All seven council members voted in favor.
Before considering The Junction’s application, council unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement giving the city authority over the entire property.
The agreement is needed because approximately one-third of the building is in unincorporated Montezuma County while the remaining two-thirds is within Cortez city limits.
An earlier agreement allowed Cortez to regulate the liquor license when the building housed Angel’s End Zone. That agreement was tied specifically to the Angel’s End Zone license, which was later transferred to Patron.
Because Patron’s license was not renewed and a new company is seeking a license, city officials said a new agreement was necessary. Montezuma County commissioners approved the agreement earlier on Sept. 22, Wells told council.
The new agreement is broader than the previous one. It gives Cortez authority over liquor, marijuana and natural-medicine licensing, along with other land-use matters affecting the property. It will remain in effect unless one government provides one year’s notice of termination or the jurisdictional split is otherwise resolved.
Patron closed after council voted 5-2 in July to deny its liquor-license renewal. Council members cited a history of unpaid sales taxes and activity involving law enforcement.
City officials said Patron had failed to remit city sales taxes during its first six months of operation and still owed $12,681 when it applied for renewal in June. The business paid the city balance shortly before the renewal hearing, and the owners said they also paid overdue state taxes using a loan.
Police received 53 calls for service associated with Patron between July 2025 and June 2026, 10 of which resulted in reports. Police Chief Vernon Knuckles testified that the number and nature of the incidents did not warrant a recommendation against renewal. Council nevertheless denied the license, citing Patron’s tax history and its character, record and reputation.
The Oct. 13 hearing will determine whether The Junction receives a new tavern liquor license and may legally serve alcohol at the property