Tribeca’s nightlife is a tad less tawdry after a series of recent enforcement actions directed at Remix, a Park Place bar that billed itself as a dance club, but was actually, according to police, operating as an adult entertainment venue.
Although Remix has a years-long history of close brushes with the law, and calls by Community Board 1 (CB1) that it be shut down, the club managed to remain open at least since 2007. (In 2009 and 2013, CB1 enacted resolutions asking the SLA not to renew Remix’s license.) Doing business first under the name Quest, and later rebranding itself as Remix, the establishment, located at 27 Park Place (with an additional entrance at 24 Murray Street), has attracted a litany of complaints about noise, lewd behavior, and operating outside the limits imposed under the license granted to it by the State Liquor Authority (SLA). At some point after Remix’s license was renewed by the SLA in 2014, it became home to the St. Venus Theater, a roving amateur strip club.
On January 21, inspectors from the NYPD’s Vice Squad and the SLA’s Enforcement Bureau arrived unannounced at the club, and cited the club for dozens of violations. Among these were that Remix was offering adult entertainment (in the form of lap dances), serving food, and had altered its floor plan to create a dance floor and a “back room” partitioned by frosted glass. While none of these allegations are, in themselves, illegal, they all require a modification of any establishment’s liquor license, as well as consultation with the local community board. Both of these requirements appear to have been ignored.
Additionally, police and SLA inspectors alleged several other violations that would not be permitted any circumstances. Among these were “allowing lewd behavior and activities of a sexual nature,” employing unlicensed security guards to act as bouncers, and failing to comply with various parts of the building, fire, and health codes.
In total, police and SLA inspectors alleged more than 50 violations and ordered the club immediately (but temporarily) shut, until the SLA could consider the matter further. Remix immediately applied to have this “emergency suspension” lifted.
At its March 28 meeting, CB1 considered a resolution asking the SLA to make the suspension permanent. Susan Cole, the chair of the Financial District Committee, said, “we oppose the application. There’s been a lot of trouble. We’ve heard from people in the community, and Remix seems to do lap dancing and a few other things.”
The resolution stated, “CB1 opposes the application by… Remix for renewal of a bar/tavern liquor license at 27 Park Place because of the egregious violations documented against this establishment and their poor record as a neighbor in the community. CB1 urges that the SLA does not approve the renewal of this license.”
The day following the CB1 meeting, the SLA’s board convened. After more than a decade of ignoring CB1 resolutions and pleas from resident who lived near Remix, the panel agreed and permanently revoked Remix’s liquor license.