GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A local bar that’s been the sight of a number of violent acts is now closed.
The owner of the New Roosevelt and city came to an agreement just before a scheduled public hearing for the bar’s liquor license renewal.
Rosalie Rivera agreed to close the bar right away, as well as sell her Class C liquor license.
The city ultimately has to approve the buyer, based on rationale such as hours of operation and amount of alcohol to be served compared to food.
Several would-be patrons were greeted by a locked door at the bar’s location at 1447 Grandville SW on Tuesday.
The bar has been the sight of 29 separate complaints of disturbing the peace in the last year, according to city records. Those also show that Grand Rapids police met with Rivera four times between April and November 2012 to discuss “large fights” and “criminal activity” at the bar.
The most serious of those incidents was a November 3 shooting that killed Wellington Guevara, 27.
Four people were taken to the hospital after another shooting in February. Police have named Marcus Smith, 26, as the suspect in that incident.
There are still bullet holes in the stairs going up to the bar’s back door.
Reginald Smith of the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association tells FOX 17 he’s happy that the bar is closing and hopes a new restaurant or business can move in – as long as they control their patrons and close by 10:00 p.m.
