Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration found an ally in its push to shut down a bar following a shooting in the Flats after the Browns game on Sept. 7. The property owner, Flats East Development LLC, said on Thursday that it had terminated its lease with Play Bar & Grill.
The shooting, which injured six people, happened outside in the Flats. Police recovered 40 shell casings from four different caliber firearms, officials said. The city swiftly had the bar boarded up. Co-owner David Hill protested the move in a widely-viewed Instagram video.
Cleveland issued a written nuisance notice on Sept. 10 that connected the bar to other reports of fighting and guns this year.
“The continued operation of this establishment created an imminent danger to the life and health of residents and visitors of the City of Cleveland, which required an immediate order to shut down the establishment,” the notice read.
News reporters descended on the bar Thursday, expecting a press conference with Play ownership. That didn’t end up happening. But reporters arrived just in time to see workers taking the plywood off of the bar’s doors and windows.
Play goes to court
The bar owners challenged the city in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. They argued that Cleveland’s move created a reputation-damaging perception that Play “is somehow responsible for the criminal actions of citizens outside its business.”
The owners released a statement saying Play wasn’t at fault for the shooting, News 5 Cleveland reported. The owners contested the city’s claim of other incidents at the bar.
“Our goal is to be treated in the same manner as other bars and restaurants when incidents occur, which typically involves due diligence and discussions with all individuals involved to reach conclusions based on fact rather than conjecture,” the statement read.
The statement pointed out that Play was a Black-owned business. At a news conference this week, Cleveland’s safety director said race had “nothing to do” with the decision to shutter the bar.
In April, City Council and the Bibb administration amended Cleveland’s nuisance laws to make it easier to shut down problem properties. But even if City Hall now has some more leverage in closing down bars, that doesn’t mean the bars will go quietly.
