Alcohol control commissioners agreed Tuesday to keep open a Salt Lake City liquor store — at least temporarily — that was set to close Oct. 1.

The store's future remains uncertain. The reprieve gives liquor officials and state lawmakers time to come up with the $210,000 needed to operate the store for the next year.

The popular store at 1457 S. Main St. had sales last year of $3.1 million ­— including $1.2 million in profits that went to school-lunch subsidies, sales-tax revenues and directly into the state's general fund. The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control opted early last summer to close the store as part of cost-cutting moves ordered by state lawmakers.

The request to postpone the closing came from Sen. Ben McAdams, D-Salt Lake City.

After discussions with McAdams, department officials said they could come up with $100,000 to help offset the store's operating costs. That money would come from a yearlong delay in purchasing equipment for the state liquor warehouse.

McAdams in turn, told commissioners that he will ask lawmakers for a supplemental appropriation to pay for the store's remaining operating expenses.

His plan is to ask his colleagues for an increase in operating expenses that normally would go into the state's general fund. But because of the potential for increased liquor sales, revenues to the state would not decline.

It's a safe bet that liquor profits will increase this next year. Several new liquor stores, including an outlet in Holladay, are now open. Profits at the Main Street store also are increasing. Sales receipts there increased nearly 3.5 percent this year, despite the economic downturn.

Salt Lake City Economic Development Director Robert Farrington Jr. said the liquor store is an anchor to the community's retail district. Boarding it up would harm surrounding businesses.

But Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, said the plan to save the liquor store "doesn't sound like a good idea to me. It's a decision of 104 lawmakers and the governor … this doesn't seem to accomplish what the DABC needs to accomplish — which is to stay on budget."

Valentine said it's up to the liquor department to make the necessary business decisions to meet the mandated budget cuts "because we don't print money in the basement of the Capitol."

Lawmakers have ordered the department to cut its overall budget by $653,000, even though profits from liquor sales last year totaled more than $59 million.

dawn@sltrib.com