The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
MP Island Cafe's new manager said he wants it to change.
No more blaring hip-hop music. No more rowdy 20-somethings. No more early morning fights in the parking lot.
Even the name will change, Rodney Williams told the city's Planning Commission at a hearing Wednesday.
Williams asked the commission to approve a nightclub permit for the business on a three-month trial basis. The permit would allow the cafe to have a larger dance floor and to play loud music after midnight.
But city planners, the Police Department and some of the cafe's neighbors oppose the idea. The commission deferred making a recommendation on the cafe's permit application.
Between Jan. 1, 2008, and June 10, 2009, police received 74 calls regarding MP Island, in the Green Run Square Shopping Center on Holland Road. In March, a fight inside MP Island ended in a shooting and fatal stabbing. The city ordered the cafe to close its nightclub, for which it never had a permit.
Now the business wants the chance to turn things around, Williams said.
He and owner Mike Palmer want to transform the Caribbean bar and cafe into an R&B club catering to an older and more mature crowd, he said. If the nightclub permit is approved, the cafe will hire extra security, he said.
"We want to be a little bit more community-friendly," Williams said.
Two managers from Norfolk Florist, which has a location nearby, said Wednesday that since the club shut down, there have been fewer problems.
Police Capt. Michael Glendon spoke against the club.
"I think the nightclub would be extremely problematic," he said.
But some members of the Planning Commission said they think the cafe should be given another chance.
A lot of the problems at the shopping center are indicative of larger issues in the surrounding community and can't be entirely blamed on MP Island, said Eugene Crabtree, who represents the Green Run area on the commission. Addressing those issues will take a community effort, he said.
"Give the business a chance," said at-large member Jay Bernas. "See if there's a change."
The Planning Commission will meet again Aug. 12. It will make a recommendation to the City Council about MP Island's permit application. The council has the final say.
Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com
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Night club License
See I can sit here and read all the hate and grime coming out of all the comments and some parts of the article. Tell me in what way can the nightclub bother bussiness in the area when at the time the nightclub is in the heights of its bussiness the other bussinesses have been long closed. I think most of you people are jumping to conclusions before examining the details. There hasn't been a club in the Hampton roads area that hasn't had to call the cops on more than one occasion over an incident. And when things do happen they just change their name and open again. Why hasn't anyone contested the reopening of the strip club on Oceana Blvd who had a murder last year right in it's doorway? As far as I kno Green Run area has always been known for high crime rates. This bussiness just happens to be taking the blame for all of it which is not good. The victim died of stabbing, the restaurant had a kitchen, how do you know if the perpetrator entered with a weapon? I'm pretty sure he/she was searched. All I know, is that we are in a recession and its a terrible idea to shut down someones bussiness over violence. The Police department is here to protect and serve the people. Wh
Been really quiet around
Been really quiet around there lately, I wonder why..........
If a nightclub liscense is granted then all hell will break loose like before, older crowd or not. He also wants permission to play louder music? I think the businesses next door need a little respect, so close the whole place down for good.........
used to live nearby years ago
That particular corner establishment which has changed hands/names a few times, has always been a focal point for trouble. It just keeps getting worse. They need to NEVER issue another nightclub or liquer license in that location ever again. That whole surrounding area is high in crime and climbing higher. That was the mina reason i got out at the first inkling of trouble. Don't help get the thugs drunk and stir up trouble after midnight. Shut it down, send trouble home early.
Irresponsible owners
First, the owner wants to open the club back up the way it was, as if the problems it caused would magically go away now. Now he wants to modify his place to an 'older crowd.' As the saying goes, you can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.
Are you serious?
They got closed down due to the criminal activity. They didn't have a license. NOW they reaaly want to do things right and get the license! But they want to make it a nighclub with a bigger dance floor to accomodate more idiots. Sure makes good sense to let them have this license doesn't it?
Older thugs are just as bad as young thugs
Just look at the MP Island commercial and you can see what kind of place it is.
The simple fact is that
The simple fact is that these clubs are a magnet for violent crime. Run a statistical report on the locations of violent crimes within the city and you will find clusters of them around these facilities. This is a simple fact and one not likely to change. It would make more sense to place these clubs away from shopping centers and residental areas so the violence would be more easily contained. I feel sorry for the businesses located around these " clubs ". It has to be killing their business through no fault of their own.
I HAVE AN IDEA
"A lot of the problems at the shopping center are indicative of larger issues in the surrounding community and can't be entirely blamed on MP Island, said Eugene Crabtree, who represents the Green Run area on the commission. Addressing those issues will take a community effort, he said".
"Give the business a chance," said at-large member Jay Bernas. "See if there's a change."
Maybe Mr. Crabtree and Jay Bernas would agree to have this crime infested place re-locate next to their houses? Or maybe they should be billed whenever the police show up? Maybe they will be responsible for any civil suits brought to the city for issuing a license to an establishment that has a history of criminal activity? Enough with the PC talk, turn the place into a day care center...
So why did it have to get to this point...
before they decided to make a change? Before now they really didn't care, did they? As they say, "It waz all guud!".
MP Island has always been a problem
Rule 1. If you have to check for weapons and have extra security you are attracting the wrong crowd. Thats simple enough. It doesn't matter what they call the place if they have to pat you down or use a metal detector at the door I already know that the type of people in that club are people I really don't want to be around.