Another one?
That is the question district manager of Community Board 2 Rafael Salamanca Jr. is asking about a fourth strip club that will soon open in Hunts Point.
“We are very disappointed in the State Liquor Authority’s decision to grant them a liquor license,” Salamanca said. We sent a letter to the authority that the request be denied and we were very specific why we felt that way. This will be the fourth strip club in Hunts Point and there is talk of a fifth one opening up. Enough is enough already.”
Despite heavy resistance from local officials and residents, Platinum Pleasures, located at 1098 Lafayette Avenue was recently granted a renewal of its liquor license.
The club, which has not yet opened, had previously obtained a liquor license in 2009 which expired, prompting the owner to apply for renewal.
The location of the club, which previous housed a topless bar known as The Bada Bing, is notorious.
“The Bada Bing was located in that building from 2006 to 2009 and in that time period there was a tremendous amount of violence,” Salamanca said. “There was a bouncer that was stabbed, a homicide in 2008, and some shootings and stabbings. They were also served two summonses for serving alcohol to minors.”
Salamanca said the community board requested the SLA not renew the liquor license for another strip club in the area based on the previous history of violence associated with the same type of establishment previously located there before.
“What is most upsetting is that we have a panel making decisions for the Hunts Point community while not knowing what is really going on here,” he said. “I understand what Guiliani did while he was in office which is make it so that strip clubs had to be placed in industrial areas, but Hunts Point is half residential and half industrial. We have our mothers, sisters, daughters getting up and going to work and at six and seven in the morning there are ‘Johns’ driving around trying to solicit a prostitute.”
Salamanca said the community board is working on getting legislation passed that will require the authority to contact them before liquor licenses can be granted.
“Our community should be able stand up and speak out on issues like these,” Salamanca said. “They need to hear us out.”
Calls to Platinum Pleasures were not returned.
