“I think we would see changes come to the Loop. The Loop has always been designed as a rather funky place. Not designed, it’s happened,” Welsch said. “But it has always been comfortable for people of all ages, all ethnicities, all levels of income. And I think something like Social House would make some people uncofmfortable.”

City Manager Lehman Walker said the club could face steep fines for being in “violation of several municipal code ordinances.”

In addition to failing to obtain a new liquor license, Walker said, the club opened Friday without securing an occupancy permit or a business license from the city.

Walker said Social House II could be fined up to $1,000 per day for each of the ordinance violations.

“They are operating illegally now and they have been operating illegally since last Friday,” Walker said.

The council meeting capped a day of legal maneuvering that began in the morning with the city filing papers seeking a temporary St. Louis County Circuit Court injunction to block Social House II from serving future customers.

A hearing on that matter could be held as early as Tuesday.