Columbus city officials and ownership of The Princess Theater have reached a compromise they believe will serve as a starting point to address concerns about safety in and around the downtown business.
The theater, located at 215 Fifth Avenue South, was the focus of much of Tuesday’s city council meeting as councilmen weighed how to address the matter in front of a packed municipal courtroom.
An early Sunday morning shooting outside The Princess spurred the issue. Gunshots struck five vehicles parked downtown, two of which were occupied, just before 1:30 a.m. No injuries were reported in the incident. Police have made one arrest and are searching for another suspect in the incident.
The council was prepared to consider a recommended ordinance recommendation from Mayor Robert Smith, prepared by city attorney Jeff Turnage, which would have limited the theater’s hours to 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. The Princess currently operates from 3:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
However, local attorney Mark Jackson, who represents Princess owner Bart Lawrence, presented concessions to the council for consideration.
The Princess’ proposal
Jackson said Lawrence was willing to close the theater part of the building, which holds 325 people. The move would reduce The Princess’ capacity from 488 people to 163. Lawrence opened the theater portion of the nightclub in 2014. Jackson said Lawrence will also close The Princess at 10 p.m.
“That’s a huge concession,” Jackson said of reducing theater capacity. “That’s more than 60 percent of his gross revenues. That is a big part of the growth that his business has seen. But he knows that has obviously caused an issue.
“That growth came because of opening that part of the theater,” Jackson added. “He’s willing to shut that part down in order to show the city how serious he is.”
Jackson requested the council allow Lawrence to implement the changes for two weeks before the next council meeting. In the meantime, city officials, police and a citizen watch group, led by Southside resident Julie Parker, will meet with Lawrence to discuss potential long-term solutions.
“It’s a starting point,” Smith said. “When we met with Mr. Lawrence on Monday, he wasn’t willing to compromise at all. …Tonight I guess he had a chance to think about it. I thought it was a medium ground and I was willing to compromise there.”
City to make changes
Smith said Columbus Light and Water will look to install 1,000-watt bulbs on the street light poles near The Princess to improve lighting. If they can’t, he said CLW will increase the wattage from the current 400-watt lights to 800 watts by installing extra 400-watt bulbs.
He said the city is looking to install surveillance cameras along Fifth Street South. Additionally, CPD will implement weekend foot patrols and explore weekday patrols in the vicinity. The parking lot at the corner of Fifth Street and Fourth Avenue South will also be closed to the public at night, Smith said, which should reduce overcrowding.
Ward 4 Councilman Marty Turner said after the meeting he was pleased with the Tuesday’s compromise.
“We don’t want to hurt businesses, but if endangers people we are forced, as a council to do something about it,” Turner said. “If you can make a concession between the community and the business itself, that’s what the community is all about.
Citizen reactions
Parker said after the meeting she was happy with Lawrence’s concessions and the council’s decision.
“I think it’s unfortunate that it may be as much of a fiscal impact on his business as he states that it might be, but understand that if indeed he follows through with these concessions, then it’s going to make a very positive impact on our community,” she said.
Though the council’s decision lead to applause from audience members in the courtroom, not everyone left the meeting completely satisfied with the council’s decision.
“I’m happy that they were able to (get) the two-week time period to consider a measured response,” said Joe Bush, who attended the meeting and says he goes to The Princess about once a month. “But I’m concerned that the chief of police in particular didn’t really seem to have an answer for how to deal with or know that he should be able to deal with a large overflow crowd that just wanted to loiter in a one- or two-block area downtown.”
He believes part of the reason for large crowds around The Princess is the council’s closing down other clubs and venues which, rather than dispersing crowds and violence, merely moves it from place to place. He referenced both the council putting a six-month moratorium on the Columbus Fairgrounds — which has also been the scene of two high-profile shootings in the last three years — as well as a 2015 vote to close certain convenience stores at 10 p.m. to cut down on loitering. He called the violence at The Princess an “unintended consequence” to these decisions.
“It seems like Bill Gavin is the only person who has made any sort of acknowledgment that what they’ve done previously hasn’t really solved the problem,” Bush said.
Laura Beth McConahie lives within walking distance of The Princess and said she is glad the business will stay open.
“I don’t believe (it’s a negative atmosphere), but I can understand the overflow issue that was being discussed,” she said. “I’m happy that they’re trying to find a common ground so that The Princess can still stay open because it is such a valuable (part of) Southside.”
Her husband is at the club almost every Monday night, she said, and she’s walked there a few times herself. She has never felt in any danger, she said.
“I don’t see how cutting down the hours is going to help people,” said Taylor Morrison, who lives near The Princess and wore a Princess Theater t-shirt to the meeting. “The theater, sure, because that brings in so many people. But it’s the people who are (causing the problem), not the place.”
The people who come to The Princess and start fights or open fire are not the bulk of the patrons, she said.
“They come down there and they ruin it for everybody,” she said.
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