LOS ANGELES : Palladium Hours Increase in Exchange for Security

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday unanimously approved an agreement that will extend the operating hours of the Hollywood Palladium in exchange for increased security measures that will be paid for by the club.

In exchange, the nightspot’s owners dropped a $50-million lawsuit that accused city officials of limiting the club’s hours to the point where it could not book many events and would have to close.

The agreement permits the club to stay open until 2 a.m. on 20 nights each month. It also calls for the owners to hire an outside security firm and develop an extensive security plan. The owners also agreed to reimburse the city for any unusual deployments of police officers to quell disturbances.

The agreement nullifies rules approved in February after a series of violent incidents at the club. Those rules forced the Palladium to close at 11 p.m. on Sundays, at midnight on Mondays through Thursdays and at 1 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.