Popular wisdom in Danbury says the city revised downtown ordinances in the last decade to curb problems with bars and nightclubs, but the end result was the changes pushed bar and restaurant business from CityCenter to Mill Plain Road. Problems still exist downtown, and the businesses aren't thriving. Danbury's City Council approved changes Tuesday night to revitalize the bar and restaurant business downtown.
The City Council's changes made Tuesday night to the city's ordinances force night clubs downtown to take out an entertainment license, and the ordinance now has punishments for excessive noise, trash, underage drinking or other alcohol abuses. The city can pull the license for repeat offenders.
Manny Carreras, who bought and is renovating the former nightclub at the corner of Ives and White, said he will not serve underage drinkers. He is building a pub/restaurant on the main floor and a lounge/nightclub upstairs for the weekend crowd. He said he will not serve people who are drunk and he will have security on site to keep the restaurant and bar crowd under control.
The Danbury Police Department patrols downtown on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and the cost to the city varies from year to year, but it ranges from $150,000 to $370,000, said Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton.
Council member after council member asked if this ordinance would lower those costs.
Boughton said he hopes the new ordinances will lower those costs, and he thinks it is possible, but he said the goal is really to curb problems with drinking, noise and trash downtown. He said if the businesses stop serving people alcohol who are already drunk, that may cut the city's costs.
"We will mitigate the problem before it reaches the police outside," said Carreras during the City Council meeting.
Tom Devine, who operates Two Steps Downtown Grill on Ives Street, favors the new ordinance, and Andrea Gartner, executive director of CityCenter Danbury, helped the city craft the ordinance changes over the last several years.
The city had thriving bars, clubs, and local music venues until the ordinance made it impossible for these establishments to change hands or open in new locations.
There were no problems, other than with Tuxedo Junction. Which ironically has remained open and still hosts an occasional fistfight.
You mention The Cow's Outside, that space has remained empty since they moved out 6 years ago. And it's just one of dozens of retail spaces that remain empty downtown, often for years and years.
I agree totally with you on the parking problem, though. If you want to make money in downtown Danbury, buy a tow truck.
The Cow's Outside had been vacant for years before Joe's legal issues. Since he's been in jail two of the parking lots he owns downtown have become diligently patrolled, with cars being towed nightly...so business is still being conducted on his behalf.
Or, park behind the Empress Theater...get car towed while watching son's band play. I think you're oversimplifying the case, George. The new garage currently serves only a small amount of customers and is operating at a loss, from what I understand.
For downtown to be "dangerous", it would require people to be there. And they roll up the sidewalks at night. There is nothing to do. I usually spend my money in New Haven instead.
There is culture downtown, great food downtown, a vibrant ethnic community downtown, churches, schools, concerts, dance and music, great places for adventure and creativity, and it is NOT the mundane, dull and same as the next mall.
You keep saying whqt you ARE NOT, so what ARE YOU?
How about fear of "differences" being your problem? Sounds like you live in a very small box.