Activity at a nightspot housed in a city-owned building east of City Hall raises some questions that may deserve the attention of local officials.

As a landlord, it might be wise for the city of Lawrence to do a bit more monitoring of how one of its properties is being used.

The building in question is the structure occupied by Abe and Jake’s Landing at the north end of New Hampshire Street. The city owns this building and leases it to a private individual.

The occupancy limit for the bar is 720 people. According to a recent news report, 1,000 people attended a show last weekend at the renovated building that once housed a barbed wire factory. This is not the first time attendance is reported to have exceeded posted limits.

At the sold-out Friday show, it is reported that women were invited onto the stage, where they bared their chests to the audience. In one case, it is reported, the star of the show lifted the tanktop of one of the women.

There are questions related to how closely the ages of those partying at Abe and Jake’s are checked, and, at past gatherings, thong contests have been featured entertainment.

There is nothing wrong or illegal about such shows  bare breasts or thong contests  although they perhaps are borderline in the minds of some. However, should such events be in or on city-owned property with crowds that are above the legal limit and perhaps include people who are underage?

Added to this situation is the fact the city is only receiving $400 a month in its long-term lease arrangement for the property. The city granted a liquor license to the bar while the building was undergoing years of remodeling and renovation, long before it was in operation. Since the license was granted, the city has added a requirement that new downtown businesses that serve alcohol must derive a set percentage of their receipts from food sales. Because Abe and Jake’s was granted a license so long before the bar began operating, it is not required to meet that requirement.

Maybe everything is OK Â the bare chests, the occasional overcrowding, not checking as closely as possible on the age of customers, thong contests, the liquor license matter and the poor return for the city in its lease arrangement, but it does raise questions.