Central City neighborhood raises safety concerns surrounding liquor license for new lounge at old Cassanova Lounge location

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT ) — The Central City Neighborhood Association met Tuesday night with a much larger crowd than usual. Dozens of people came out to voice their concerns about a new lounge wanting to move in to the corner spot on First Avenue North and 23rd Street, the old location for Cassanova Bar and Lounge and Cru Lounge.

“Every concern that you have is one of our concerns as well,” Dan Crane, one of the partners of PRVLGE Inc., said during Tuesday’s meeting.

The meeting got a little spirited with strong emotions coming out. Around 20 people in the neighborhood expressed their concerns to Crane.

“I do not like having areas of the empty buildings in our downtown area. I also do not like having our residents feel like they have to come out in such strong force in order to have themselves heard,” Central City Neighborhood Association President Daniel Christiansen said.

The strong emotions and concerns were clearly exemplified in the vote the neighborhood took on whether or not to support a liquor license for what would be PRVLGE Lounge. 55 Central City residents opposed a liquor license for PRVLGE with only five supporting it. Five residents abstained from voting.

“The only thing we can do is work together and try to have a good relationship,” Crane said during the meeting. “That’s all that we can try to do with one another but it takes an open mind from both sides.”

Birmingham City Council President Darrell O’Quinn attended the meeting after hearing how many people showed up for this specific topic. When asked how much weight the community’s vote and opposition carries, he said a lot.

“It’s very important to the council to know the feeling of the community where these businesses are located and certainly the large turnout here tonight is very significant,” O’Quinn said. “But I also encourage people to actually show up at the public hearing for the council.”

Some of the biggest concerns neighbors brought: safety and cleanliness.

“It’s a terrible way to live and you can see that by the turnout tonight,” Central City resident Edwina Rogers said. “The neighbors have had enough of these kinds of clubs coming into our neighborhood.”

Crane says security is something being taken seriously as they’ve hired a security company that will have up to 6 law enforcement or military trained officers during business hours as well as doing pat downs, wanding and checking purses of guests.

“That is a matter of preference, we don’t have to do that but we do it because we understand the client that is around here to this day,” Crane said.

“The fact that they have to have that many security guards when no other place that I know of in Birmingham has nearly that much. I know it was said that that was their option, their plan to do that, but why do you need to plan that if you don’t think there’s going to be a problem,” Central City resident Bobby Lewis said.

“So that level of security doesn’t make you feel more safe?”

“No,” he said.

“But it actually does the opposite?”

“Yes,” he said.

Crane left the neighborhood meeting before CBS 42 could ask him for further comment.

The PRVLGE Inc. liquor license application along with the neighborhood recommendation will now go before the city’s public safety committee which next meets on October 25.

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