urbanSTL

Framer wrote:

TheRemedy wrote: Doug, you are nothing but a forum troll. I don't believe you are truly for any of the points you attempt to make. Please leave the forum.

No, you're wrong about Doug. He's not an anonymous troll hiding behind his keyboard. He's quite well known in local urbanist circles, and he has an impressive record of active, hands-on participation in many causes near and dear to all urbantists. Sure, his style can be abrassive, but hey, the squeeky wheel gets the oil.

I certainly don't agree with everything he says, but that's what discussion boards are all about - the free exchange of ideas. This forum, and this city, would be a lesser place without Doug.

And now, back to our regular mayhem....

Moorlander wrote:I was wondering when the mob connection would be brought up. Nick does have ties to the mob.

Dave wrote:Alright, enough is enough you guys. We're not here to attack each other. We're here to shed light on the situation with Club Lure and talk about ways we can work together to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood. This kind of divisive behavior plays right into their hands. It's likely they feel the only chance they have of sticking around is to divide the neighborhood and the city. Why do you think they pulled their offensive antics with the posters that declare downtown racist?

You see, no one here has a problem with hip-hop. Chief Isom, our Police Commissioner who happens to be black, made the following statements that played during Jake's interview. (BTW, I think Jake did a good job and was pretty objective):

1. "What we point to is behavior. And that's what we're focused on. What's the behavior that's being caused as a result of these clubs or what's the behavior centered around these clubs?"
2. "I don't know if its hip-hop music itself, it's the people who are coming. I mean, my kids listen to hip-hop and they don't go around around shooting."
3. "The problem with that is we can't be in front of the clubs 24 hours a day and so we do have other responsibilities in the city of St. Louis."
4. "We do know that there have been several shootings late at night after the closings of these clubs. We do believe that some of these are related to people that are frequenting these clubs."

As Jeff Rainford states, "When you have facts you fight your battles with facts, when you have the law behind you, one fights with the law, when you have nothing behind you, you pound your fist and make noise." Therefore, Club Lure's claim of racism is nothing more than a pitiful smoke screen and offensive as it attempts to divide the city we love.

Let's get back to the previous question about how well Club Lure fits in with the downtown family of residents, businesses, and entertainment venues. The Jack Thompson HOA made a reasonable request last year asking for smoke and sound abatement. You know, I would have had the expectation that smoke from the first floor would not seep all the way up to the top floor. So what was the building owner and Tony Trupiano's response? That they couldn't afford it. That these folks shouldn't have bought a condo located over a nightclub... How many thousands of dollars a month do you spend on security, Rob? You guys couldn't afford a fraction of that in a one-time improvement that would help establish good faith with your neighbors? And you had the gall to rub it in their faces by telling them they shouldn't have bought there in the first place? Lure owners, how would you like it if your neighbors treated you like that? Probably not very well.

Lucky's and Club Lure haven't been open that long, have they? Weren't folks living in Jack Thompson before then? I know the Meridian was around before the Trupiano's moved in. So why did you open a club in a mixed-use, residential area? Didn't you know there would be an expectation that you be a respectful partner and not a detriment to the neighborhood? Didn't you know that residents would not approve of gunfire and other violence stemming from nearby clubs? You see, you aren't the only one that can turn the tables.

Rob, Nick, and the rest of Club Lure owners:
You have long had the opportunity to treat your downtown neighbors with respect. Yet at each step, you spit in our faces. When we asked for smoke and sound abatement, you laughed at us. When we asked for you to throw more responsible parties to limit the recurring violence and nuisance behavior, you called us a bunch of racists. Your words and actions have made it clear that you are unwilling to take responsibility and be a productive member of the downtown neighborhood. In fact, your actions have shown you to be a detriment to it. These facts and how you have behaved will be addressed in the upcoming Excise hearing. And I'd like to be honest with you. For the despicable way you have behaved, I personally hope you are shut down and shut down soon.

But as we all know, it's never too late to start being a good neighbor. Will you own up to your disrespect for the downtown neighborhood and city at large? If you desire to stay, what reasonable changes do you propose that could make you a positive part of this neighborhood?

Gentlemen, it's past time for you to step up to the plate and come clean with the same people you have repeatedly bullied and disrespected. On one hand you slam us in the media and call us a bunch of racists. On the other, you pretend that you're our partners in progress. We aren't as stupid as we look, fellas. Maybe it's best that you start with an apology. (Jake, please let them answer for themselves.)

Respectfully,
Dave

Moorlander wrote:I was wondering when the mob connection would be brought up. Nick's family does have ties to the mob.

Jennifer Asher wrote:Dave,

As a resident of JT Square I would like to thank you for summing up my frustration with club Lure's owners. I feel like I have been saying these things, and people keep wanting to have meetings with Lure, we've had meetings, they have had many many chances to be good neighbors, and repeatedly they say they want to move forward and be good neighbors, but when it comes down to it, all they have is excuses, accusations, and NO CHANGE. Would any of you want to go to endless meetings to remedy a situation that Lure has refused to rectify for over a year, where your nine year old daughter is living in a room that fills with smoke at least three nights a week. She has breathing issues, asthma and allergies. Would you want to give them three more weeks to change something they have failed to change for over a year? Tony Trupiano called me and asked me, "Why did you move in over a bar?" We live on the sixth and seventh floor! Who would think that smoke would come all the way up to the seventh floor??? I expected SOME noise, but not smoke, not belligerent clients, and workers of Lure in the resident's lobby. No one at City Hall, Lure, DSLRA safety, seems to grasp the gravity of this situation for me, or my frustration with the way Lure has responded. I understand that downtown wants businesses to thrive, but does anyone want business to drive residents out or keep them away, or diminish the investments we have made? Don't we need residents? There's plenty of businesses downtown that contribute taxes, we need residents, I pay taxes to the city too! We all do! How much tax money would the city lose if residents start leaving? Any other business in that location would contribute taxes, fly-by-night nightclubs are not lasting businesses, would Lure be here in twenty, fifteen, even ten years if their liquor license wasn't under scrutiny? Doubt it.

First Lure's management ridiculed me for moving downtown, now they have called me a racist for wanting to protect my daughter, and my investment. I am tired of their attitude, I am tired of their lies, I am tired of their rhetoric. I will not let them bully me any longer. I will be at that hearing with my daughter, my photos, and my numerous first hand accounts of what goes on here.

Thank you Dave for understanding.

UrbanReviewSTL wrote:So last Friday night I went to their condo located at Tucker & Washington Ave at 1am (technically Saturday morning). I had never been in the residential part of this building. Like most, the lobby contains a mail center and an elevator. But this resident lobby contained something I’ve seen in no other: massive amounts of cigarette smoke.

Typically in these buildings the commercial spaces are kept separate from the resident spaces. However, it is common to permit emergency egress through an otherwise resident-only space. The club’s exit door is at the end on the left in the above image.

We took the elevator up to the top — the 6th floor. I was so bothered by the lobby smoke their hall seemed refreshing. We peaked into the emergency staircase.

The stair leads up to the roof. The bedrooms/bathrooms for the four 6th floor units are located on the 7th floor. A former opening from the stairwell is adjacent to her daughter’s bathroom. Each Friday & Saturday night the smoke makes its way up the stairwell forcing them to run the exhaust fan in her bathroom.

This couple’s unit is in the middle of the floor. They said the neighbor with the entrance opposite the elevator (above) gets smoke through the elevator shaft.

Their loft was very nice. I didn’t even attempt the spiral stair but we talked for about 15 minutes. Their windows which face West were closed but I could hear the music from the club below — we are on the 6th floor!

Heading back down the hall to the elevator I could now smell the smoke on their floor. Coming off the elevator into the lobby I was again confronted by the visible smoke. Just then a young man exited the club into the resident lobby to talk on his phone. I can’t imagine putting up with 1) this smoke and 2) having strangers in what should be secured space.

Moorlander wrote:When does the City Smoking ban kick in. That will solve one of the issues.

bonwich wrote:Aren't casinos, taverns and "clubs" exempt?