^ living downtown doesnt mean you expect to live in a neighbourhood where anything goes.
I dont think Cowboys did much for downtown in its old location. It brought in a bunch of rowdies who came down to drink, party at Cowboys, the loiter around the streets causing trouble, and then go home to the burbs where they lived. The cowboys customers didnt spend money elsewhere downtown... they didnt come to shop or to eat dinner or to spend money on other entertainment through the night.
Compare that a lounge that might cater to the young professional crowd downtown. This clientelle might go shop afterwork at some stores downtown, they might go for dinner, and then hit the lounge, and the go see a show. This adds something to the downtown in terms of economics but also in terms of a bit of vibrancy.
I bet if a restaurant or a resto/lounge combo like Earls wanted to open up at the proposed Cowboys location there would be less opposition. Or even a hippie all night coffee house that would attract artist types... this would add more to the vibrancy of downtown and wouldnt get the same opposition.
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