Of course some of you have heard The Pearl got raided last night by D.A.R.T and COJ city inspectors last night around 12:30am.
From Dj Ricky the DJ that night:
I am the DJ at the pearl on thursday and saturday night and yes i was DJing last night when this happened.
let me clear a few things up.
1) there was NO drugs found nor are we known to have such items.
2) they did find minor code violations while inspecting the club, but nothing that would put anybody in harm’s way
3) we are closed until further notice but of course hope to be open asap.
Please look at the Pearl’s myspace for updates. I am the number 3 friend on their page and if you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer anything i can.
we can not speculate on why we or anybody else was chosen for this.
we appreciate your concern and support.
From Justin The Pearl manager:
To everyone who has posted their love and appreciation for The Pearl I want to thank you personally. Yes we were raided last night. By DART, ABT, the Fire Marshall, building code enforcement and JSO. We have been shut down for reasons of building code violations.
Our owner has talked with DART today to find that The Pearl was being watched for two weeks by DART agents coming into the bar. DART could not give our owner evidence showing that they found ANYTHING illegal happening at our club. DART proceeded to raid us even after 2 weeks of investigation.
I personally had contacted ABT 5 weeks ago about having an officer come to the club and re-train my staff (because I have some new security staff, and laws change). I never received a call back. I had called at least once each week to see about getting someone to come out. Only to find out last night from an ABT officer that they were holding off on calling me back so that they could proceed with this raid.
As far as the code violations we will be working on correcting those as soon as possible. The Owner has spent all day downtown today trying to get things taken care of with the city so we can re-open. We will let everyone know when that will be happening. Thank all of you who are supporting us in this. It is a very unfortunate event.
from Christy Daily owner of The Pearl (taken from Urban Jacksonville)
I guess that i don’t really know where to start, but
the facts are this:
neither myself nor my club are involved in drugs or
condone them in any way.
after talking to the dart officials (at length today) i was
informed that they had been watching my bar for 2
weeks before this raid, and NOT ONCE found any
illegal activity… and last night, found NO DRUGS,
and did not and have not witnessed any of my staff
disobeying ANY laws.
they did in fact, catch 2 underagers sneaking alcohol,
arrested them, and admitted that my staff did not
serve them.
we were shut down anyway…
why?
because of extension cords, gfi outlets, locked
electrical panels (hello, crack-head city) a fire
extinguisher that was charged but needed updating,
an unpermitted water heater…. well, you get the point.
this is a permitting issue,
i live in the neighborhood where the code officers drive
by everyday, and god-forbid they find something
wrong, you’re gonna pay.
i’m used to that.
i’m used to the notices, and the code officers, and all
i try to do is keep up with the upkeep of a 100-year
building that i have worked so hard to renovate and
make a special place for the whole neighborhood.
but what i am not used to
is the actions that were displayed by MY city
last night…
a city that i was born and raised in, and have done
everything in my power to make a BETTER place.
i can say from my heart
that i try to live to be the best person that i can be,
i’ve made mistakes in the past, but i can look in the
mirror every morning and like myself, because i know
what my values are and i love my family and my job
and i believe in the good in people.
today has been hard because i got to see (again) the
uglyness that rears its head at times…
and oh well.
thats life.
peace to all that love and support my efforts, be it at
the pearl, or elsewhere..my homies :)
MORE INFO:
Urbanjacksonville.com
Jacksonville.com
Theouterbox.com
Metrojacksonville.com
Jacksonvilleconfidential
First Coast News
Fox 30 News
4 comments:
Hurry Back, We Miss You Already!
Christie.
And everyone who reads this site, believes in the indie scene and or downtown.
This sucks, and if you don't start sticking up for all of us, and work together to stop the bad guys, then there will be nothing left.
Its time to speak up for the scene and the right of all of us to live and enjoy our lives.
This is bitter old people and pinched lips younger yuppies who think that the scene represents everything wrong with Jacksonville without realizing that they are the actual problem.
The real estate developers and the tale bearers and the dividers are the enemy here.
Its ridiculous that Ryan and Jason, Christie, and even to a certain extent me and John have to overcome impossible odds just in order to stay afloat.
Closing cost TSI at least 60 k in lost revenue and actual expenditures, and who knows what will happen to Christie, who has taken every single action she can take in order to contribute to this community and to this city.
Without Christie, this place would have been a sadder less interesting place indeed.
Stick up for her.
We have a mailing address at metrojacksonville that will simultaneously send your emails to every single member of city council and the mayor's office.
MayorsOffice@metrojacksonville.com
jpeyton@coj.net
citycouncil@metrojacksonville.com
When you post to these three addresses it will send your comments on to about a hundred people who are making decisions.
It seems like they are purposefully shutting down the indie and nightlife scene.
Right now the city is discussing a bill to enforce parking meters and give tickets at NIGHT TIME now.
This will KILL london Bridge, TSI, Marks, Dive Bar, La Cena, and Burrito Gallery.
Speak up
If you don't, you are just letting it happen.
Stephen Dare
So, in the raids on TSI and The Pearl, DART has managed to get one person with a fake id and one bag of weed for personal use. This latest raid netted, ZIP. Then, of course, a bunch of bullshit code violations on both clubs. In the mean time, this is the murder capitol of the South. If I call the cops to my house in Murray Hill it is going to be an hour wait. If they want a huge bust, why are they not at Plush or Bourbun Street or some places like that? Could it be that the owners of the huge places have the resources to make them look like the bunch of dounche bags they are?
WAY TO GO JSO! Please, for once in your grifting, strong arming, miserable "careers", just once, FIGHT SOME REAL CRIME. Leave the people trying to better this town to do their thing.
Rant Over
The Mayor's office responded!
http://hamptoncatlin.com/2008/dart-raids
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