Nightclub Is Denied Renewal of Permit

Operators of the Empire Ballroom nightclub were rebuffed by the City Council again this week in their attempt to win a permit to stay open.

Though it has been open only about two years, the nightclub at 640 W. 17th St. has grown in popularity, drawing increasingly large crowds, according to City Manager Allan L. Roeder. And as the crowds got bigger, so did the number of disturbances, he said.

Residents who live near the nightclub have complained that limited parking on the premises forces patrons to park on their streets. Those leaving the club often are drunk and noisy, residents said.

The Empire Ballroom has been wrangling with the city for a few months in seeking renewal of its operating permit. Councilwoman Sandra L. Genis said she felt the club had been given many chances in the past to alleviate its parking problems but hadn’t done so.

“The problem with these guys is they never started to do anything until it was too late,” she said.

Club owners were not available for comment.

Two council members, Peter F. Buffa and Mary Hornbuckle, wanted to give the ballroom another chance and voted against the measure to shut the ballroom down.

But Mayor Joe Erickson said that the club had been given opportunity to address city concerns, and that too much of the Police Department’s time was spent keeping an eye on the place.