https://www.expressnews.com/business...c17c5e3d919264



Hope you all can read the story off of Express News. Looks like the club is putting up a fight from being shut down. I haven't been there in 5+ years but it is still hanging on.

SF

Bare-knuckle brawl breaks out between San Antonio strip club, city







































Bare-knuckle brawl breaks out between San Antonio strip club, city


Patrick Danner Dec. 9, 2020 Updated: Dec. 10, 2020 12:34 p.m.

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XTC Cabaret had its certificate of occupancy revoked Nov. 24 for allegedly not following COVID-19 protocols. The club and the city are now suing each other.Photo: Google Earth


XTC Cabaret and the city have sued each other in the wake of the Northeast Side strip club’s shutdown on allegations of violating coronavirus orders.
The club and the city filed lawsuits within an hour of each other Monday afternoon in state District Court, with each seeking temporary and permanent injunctions.
XTC sued first, asking a court to restore its certificate of occupancy that was revoked Nov. 24 after it received six citations from the city for allegedly failing to practice social distancing and rules requiring face masks.
The establishment at 2023 Sable Lane also wants the court to prevent the city from enforcing any COVID-19 rules that are not authorized by Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive orders.
On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio exotic dancers allege they’ve been stripped of wages
The city makes no mention of COVID-19 protocols in its lawsuit. Rather, it describes XTC as a den of criminal activity — from prostitution to assaults with deadly weapons to drug dealing.
The city wants the club shut down and the property boarded up for a year as part of a permanent injunction.
“Over the past two years, more than 300 calls for police service to XTC for incidents ranging from shootings, narcotics, prostitution, fights, weapons disturbances, robberies and the illegal sale of alcohol have been placed,” city spokeswoman Laura Mayes said in an email Wednesday.
The city wants the property declared a “common nuisance” and closed for a year, she added.
Casey Wallace, a Houston lawyer representing XTC, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
XTC called the city’s decision to enforce COVID-19 restrictions at the club a “pretext” for closing it.
“The city actually wants to shut down (XTC’s) exotic dance club … for reasons that are unrelated to containing the spread of the virus,” the business alleges in its lawsuit.
XTC calls itself a “BYOB establishment,” where patrons bring their own booze. For that reason, it says it is not a “bar” as defined under the governor’s executive orders. That allowed it to remain open during the pandemic — until the city revoked its occupancy certificate.
On ExpressNews.com: Police investigating after man opened fire with AK-47 at Northeast Side strip club
According to XTC’s lawsuit, the city’s Department of Development Services issued an “Emergency Declaration — Stop Work Order” for the alleged violation of social distancing protocols Sept. 6.
A Development Services official returned with police officers days later to issue two new violations, including for not wearing face coverings.
Two more citations were issued in early November. Days later, the city notified XTC of plans to revoke the certificate of occupancy.
Nevertheless, the club says management moved tables apart to prevent customers from “congregating in tight groups.” It also enforced the face-covering requirement “even more stringently.”
City personnel who visited XTC at 11 p.m. Nov. 21 “commended the club’s efforts,” XTC says in its complaint. But then, the action adds, a city official visited the dancers’ dressing room — where they eat and put on makeup and attire — and found dancers not wearing face masks or staying 6 feet apart. Another violation notice was issued.
On Nov. 24, Development Services Department Director Michael Shannon notified XTC in a letter that its certificate of occupancy was revoked “effective immediately.”
Shannon cited the various health and safety violations related to the pandemic but also mentioned various criminal offenses that allegedly occurred over the summer at the club.
Members of the XTC management were warned by the city they would be arrested if they reopened the club, the suit adds.
XTC’s counsel contacted the city to find out what the club could do to restore its certificate of occupancy. The city told XTC to go through an administrative appeal process, “a process that would take months,” the club’s lawsuit says.
“Having exhausted its ability to work with the city and its attempts to go above and beyond to ensure all possible COVID-19 precautions were being strictly followed, (XTC) now (asks) this court for injunctive relief to save its business,” the complaint adds.