Lang
12/16/25
A former Iowa City city councilor and co-founder of the nonprofit Iowa City Downtown District is expressing concerns with the listed hours of a new downtown Iowa City nightclub.
Local realtor Tracy Barkalow recently opened a new bar in the former Active Endeavors location on Clinton Street and branded it “The Fieldhouse”…the same name used by a pair of former downtown Iowa City bars. He also plans to open a new bar in the former Cactus 3 location on Clinton Street and call it “The Union”…the same name as a nightclub on the Ped Mall that opened in the early 1990’s and closed during the pandemic. Barkalow is even using the original Union Bar logo to promote the new bar.
Former Iowa City city councilor Karen Kubby has expressed concerns about the operating hours of the two new bars…which were both traditionally open until 2 a.m. in their previous incarnations…in a new letter to Little Village magazine. Kubby writes that the listed hours of The Fieldhouse are “6:00 p.m. – CLOSE”. She notes that zoning changes approved by the council in 2010 prevent new liquor-licensed establishments within the University Impact Zone from staying open past midnight if another such establishment is located within 500 feet. Kubby says if either the Barkalow Fieldhouse or the Barkalow Union stay open past midnight they will be in violation of city code.
Kubby suggests residents protest outside the establishments with signs explaining the ordinance and she encourages Barkalow to convert the bars into alcohol-free alternatives to replace the recently closed Unimpaired Dry Bar on Burlington Street. Not serving alcohol would allow the establishments to stay open past midnight.
A link to the full letter can be found here.