City declares Seattle nightclub Citrus a ‘public nuisance’
Mar 1, 2013, 2:33 PM | Updated: 3:45 pm
The city is taking action against a troublesome south Lake Union nightclub that could result in its closure.
‘Citrus’ has been the scene of more than 55 visits by police in the last 13 months, including a gang-related shooting, an officer-involved shooting, brawls and car prowls, according to detective Mark Jamieson.
This week, police and the City Attorney declared the nightspot a “Chronic Public Nuisance,” an effort to force club owners to deal with crime problems. Jamieson said the designation puts club owners on notice.
“Let[s] them know that there’s a problem, that people in the community are concerned and here are some of the things you as a business owner can do to address that,” said Jamieson.
Executives at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, located across the street, wrote a letter this week to the city expressing its concerns about “Citrus.”
Representatives with the police and the City Attorney’s Office have met with management at the club but police say the problems persist. The declaration helps the city force the nightclub to improve security and otherwise reduce problems in and around the club.
If the club doesn’t resolve the crime problems, the state could pull its liquor license and the city could go after its business license.
