Syracuse, N.Y. — A judge ordered the closure of a long-operating strip club embroiled in litigation with the city of Syracuse.
State Supreme Court Justice Rory McMahon ruled from the bench Friday in favor of the city’s request to revoke the special use permit for Lookers Showclub, a strip club that has operated since 1992 at 1400 N. Salina St.
The city sued the club and its owner, Kevin Quinn, in March, claiming the business was violating the conditions of its permit by staying open too long and by operating on Sundays.
The city argued the club’s operations after hours were a constant source of disorderly conduct and other neighborhood complaints that put “a significant strain on the City’s precious law enforcement resources.”
McMahon issued an order in June that said Lookers needed to keep the hours that are outlined in the special use permit, which said it could be open noon to 2 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The city said the club has defied that order, and it filed a motion last month asking the judge to hold the business and Quinn in contempt.
At a hearing on that motion Friday, McMahon granted the city’s request to revoke the special use permit and said the club must stop operating as a restaurant with live entertainment. The city also asked the judge to fine Quinn and sentence him to 30 days in jail. A hearing to determine the contempt penalty will be held in November.
In court papers filed this week responding to the contempt motion, Quinn said he has been keeping the hours set forth in the judge’s earlier ruling. He said evidence presented by the city showing that lights were still on and crowds of people were still coming and going past 2 a.m. was misleading. Video footage was showing employees or contractors, he said, and not customers.
Quinn also said the business’ website, which until this week stated hours that were in violation of the order, was not a true reflection of current operations. He said he still needed to engage a website designer to make updates to hours. As of Friday afternoon, the website hours were updated to show 2 a.m. as the closing time and no hours on Sunday.
The club’s Facebook page also has updated hours, and a post made Thursday states “Lookers Showclub closes at 2am everyday. Also is closed on Sundays! This is to allow the City of Syracuse as well as the Syracuse Police Department to better use its resources where is needed most. No outside partying is allowed or tolerated on or around this property.”
Quinn said he was told by prior owners that the city had given them written permission to be open until 4 a.m. but he does not have that documentation. A former club employee filed a court affidavit saying he had seen such a document himself. City officials, though, said they have searched and found no such records.
“Lookers flagrantly and willfully ignored the terms of its special permit and the orders of the Court. Its practices have been a detriment to the neighborhood and the city,” Mayor Ben Walsh said in a news release. “Judge McMahon’s finding sends a clear message: these behaviors will not be tolerated.”
Neither Quinn nor his attorney could be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
City reporter Jeremy Boyer can be reached at jboyer@syracuse.com, (315) 657-5673, Twitter or Facebook.