After wrangling over the issue under cover of a lawsuit filed by the bar owners against the city in U.S. District Court, an aide for Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced that the city has agreed to extend entertainment at three bars from 1 a.m. until 2 a.m. while the plaintiffs conceded to 1 a.m. deadlines at four other clubs.
SPRINGFIELD - City officials reached a compromise with the owners of seven downtown nightclubs in a long-running dispute over curtailing entertainment.
After wrangling over the issue under cover of a lawsuit filed by the bar owners against the city in U.S. District Court, an aide for Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced that the city has agreed to extend entertainment at three bars from 1 a.m. until 2 a.m. while the plaintiffs conceded to 1 a.m. deadlines at four other clubs.
Scores, the Fifth Alarm, Oz and Pure will stop entertainment until 1 a.m. while the Mardi Gras, Center Stage and Xstatic will have a 2 a.m. deadline, with restrictions. Four of the seven are strip clubs.
Downtown club owners James and Helen Santaniello, Sherri L. Via, and Anthony Santaniello sued to fight a ban Sarno enacted in April to stop all entertainment at bars at 1 a.m. instead of the 2 a.m. closing time. A few exceptions were made for full-service restaurants that also served liquor.
Bar and restaurant owners resisted the ban, arguing it was another tactic to squash a nightlife already eroded by the economy and other public policies. Some clubs closed at 1 a.m. rather than continue another hour without entertainment, which could range from a television over the bar to strippers on stage.
In federal court, lawyers for the plaintiffs attempted a First Amendment defense, arguing the ban curtailed the "public's right to dance," to no avail. Public safety officials argued the 1 a.m. entertainment deadline significantly cut down on police calls and violent crime in the club quarter after the bars closed down.
"The mayor's regulations have made a significant difference in late night crime in the downtown area," spokesman for Sarno, Thomas Walsh, said in a statement, adding that there has been a 35 percent reduction in "calls for service" from the downtown area between midnight and 3 a.m.
Those calls dropped from 1,197 to 794 over a six-month period, beginning six months after the ban was enacted, according to police statistics.
"The sole purpose of imposing these regulations was a concern over public safety for patrons to downtown businesses and police officers on the job," Sarno said. "We have seen an improvement in public safety and I want to thank the responsible owner who have cooperated with the implementation of these new regulations. If the trends continue, the businesses and the public will benefit as the perception of the area changes."
Lawyers representing the bars could not be reached for comment. However, the compromise appeared to benefit the highest-grossing bars in the group, namely the Mardi Gras strip club on Taylor Street.
A fatal shooting there and at another nude dancing bar on Worthington in 2009 sparked verbal indictments by public officials and fueled a dialogue on restrictions.
As part of the settlement, bars enjoying the later entertainment deadline must adhere to added restrictions including: no admittance or re-admittance after 1 a.m.; having comprehensive security plans in place including a full-time security director; anti-loitering patrols and other measures.