Last month, the city council unanimously approved an $8 million subsidy for a restaurant, bar and night club in the 1000 block of K Street.
 
The vote came after downtown and midtown business members agreed to a compromise following tense negotiations with council members.
 
But former city councilman Josh Pane (pronounced "PAH-nay") says subsidizing more bars and night clubs downtown is bad policy.  So he started a signature drive to overturn the vote.
 
Pane: “The city, policy wise, should be using its resources, our taxpayer dollars out of that redevelopment zone, to be doing things the private sector isn’t doing.  Student housing.  Senior housing.  A grocery store.” 
 
The group has to gather more than 20,000 valid signatures from registered voters by mid-April to put the referendum on the ballot.
 
Many downtown businesses support the subsidy.  They say it will help redevelop the blighted stretch of K Street.