Richmond mayor Dwight C. Jones
From timesdispatch.com
In the wake of two deadly shootings in Shockoe Bottom, Mayor Dwight C. Jones and other city council members announced a plan designed to help the city deal with problem nightclubs.
If approved, the plan would require club owners to get a $100 annual permit to operate, which could be revoked if the club became a public nuisance. It would also require some nightclubs to boost security and force club owners to pass criminal background checks.
“We want to solve the problem,” Jones said. “We want to make sure Shockoe Bottom and where all these venues are placed are safe. But, we also want to make sure we have entertainment. Downtown needs to be alive, but it also needs to be safe.”
Dance halls, under the new ordinance, would be defined as any public space that allows dancing. Some restaurants would be exempt as long as less than 10 percent of its floor space was dedicated to dancing.
Some club owners who have been in business for years are hoping that they may be grandfathered in and not have to adhere to the new rules, but Jones said the ordinance would apply to everyone if passed.
“If it’s going to be effective, it’s got to apply to everybody,” he said.
The proposed changes stem from two shootings that occurred outside of Have a Nice Day Cafe in Shockoe Bottom since April 24. In the past year, Richmond has seen a slight increase in violent crime, which goes against the national trend.
