HIGHLAND PLACE RE-OPENING LIKELY MONTHS AWAY

Highland Place, the Maplewood Village restaurant that shutdown last summer and later had its liquor license seized, is not likely to reopen for at least a few months as its liquor license is sold to the buildIng's landlord and plans to reopen it are still being formulated.

Masoud Kian, who owns the building at 5 Highland Place where the restaurant is located, submitted an application last month to take ownership of the liquor license from Chris Farrow, the former owner.

The State Department of Taxation seized the license in November from Farrow for failure to pay taxes and had planned to auction it off in December with an estimated price at the time of $300,000.

But that auction was postponed at Farrow's request. The transfer application was submitted to the Township on Feb. 15.

Township Clerk Liz Fritzen said the transfer needs to be advertised via public notice twice in March before any transfer can occur. She also said Kian must undergo a background check that will likely take another month or so.

Kian is likely to use the license at the former Highland Place location, but does not have to, Fritzen said.