Dream Nite Club closes early after empty Friday, manager hopes for improvement with security receiver in place
Colorful lights flashed, music blasted from loud speakers and bartenders leaned against counters of fully stocked liquor shelves.
Dream Nite Club staff had everything set for a reopening Friday night after a temporary restraining order by a Washtenaw County judge closed the doors for two weeks.
But one thing was missing: customers. The dance floor remained bare at midnight and five security guards dressed in yellow vests stood talking with one another.
Manager Jeffrey Mangray decided he’d had enough by 12:30 p.m. and turned off the lights. Fifteen people had come through, he said, and it wasn’t worth keeping staff around until the normal 2:30 a.m. closing time.
“It’s unfortunate we didn’t have adequate time to prepare. It’s difficult to make plans when you have an uncertainty in your mind,” he said. “The closure put a damper on our planning.”
Dream Nite Club is located at 314 S. Fourth Ave.
Business at the downtown Ann Arbor nightclub, located at 314 S. Fourth Ave., was temporarily shuttered June 2 when Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Timothy Connors placed a restraining order on operations. City Attorney Stephen Postema filed a lawsuit the same day, seeking to declare the club a nuisance and have it shut down.
On May 1, a man cut two men in the face and a woman in the leg with a sharp object during a fight on the club’s dance floor. A fight developed outside weeks later that resulted in a man being shot in a neighboring parking lot.
Postema and David Shand, an attorney representing the nightclub, met in court this month and Judge Melinda Morris agreed to allow the club to reopen, as long as a receiver is in place to oversee security and general operations.
John Phillips, a former Washtenaw County Sheriff’s sergeant, was named to that role this week and will be present at the club each Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. for the next four weeks. He’ll submit a report to Morris of his observations and ideas for improvement after that time.
Mangray said he hopes to find a middle ground with the city that results in a safe atmosphere and mutual satisfaction. His staff is instructed to maintain a watch on those who come in and out each night, he said, and any room for improvement brought to his attention is something he’ll take seriously.
“The only thing we can emphasize is closer attention to people admitted to the place,” he said. “If people are being unruly outside the place, we don’t let them in—period. “
Mangray said his staff is instructed to keep the sidewalk cleared in front of the club.
“Our domain is inside the building. It’s not that we don’t care what happens outside—we do care—but how effective can my security staff be at controlling what happens outside of here?”
Phillips, who was present Friday night for his first shift as the club’s receiver, said he’ll be taking a look at improvements that can be made to safety both inside and outside of the club. He emphasized that he has no intention of staying on permanently, but would offer his insight for a one-month period.
“I’ve got an open mind to it, but people have to be safe in here and when they leave,” he said.
Kathleen Jordan, 21, of Adrian stopped into the nightclub Friday night with her friend, Jasmine Flores, 21, and said she looks forward to the nightclub atmosphere in Ann Arbor after driving in from out of town.
“The atmosphere was nice—now it’s just dead,” she said. “We came here a couple times before, but it’s been better.”
Mangray said he hopes to gain momentum over the next few weeks once planning is again put into developing theme nights. A message was planned to go out to several University of Michigan students taking summer classes, he said.
“Alcohol and human nature doesn’t mix very well and every bar in town has its share of problems,” he said. “We appreciate whatever help we can get.”
Heidi Fenton covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at heidifenton@annarbor.com or 734-623-4673. You also can follow her on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's e-mail newsletters.
Comments
Wolf's Bane
Sun, Jun 19, 2011 : 8:52 p.m.
Other Ann Arbor hot spots were doing great business on Saturday night, including Bab's, Rush Street, etc. Ha-ha!
andralisa
Sun, Jun 19, 2011 : 6:44 p.m.
When owners have no respect for the welfare of their patrons the patrons know it and go elsewhere. That simple - so long Dreamers!
Macabre Sunset
Sun, Jun 19, 2011 : 2:06 a.m.
Fifteen people by 12:30 p.m. sounds pretty good. Especially with another 14 hours to go before closing. Maybe if they had waited until it was dark, they would have had a full house. In the future, though, I hope both Morris and the security people understand that the most serious problems are likely to happen after closing in the immediate vicinity of the club.
whatsupwithMI
Sun, Jun 19, 2011 : 2:01 a.m.
Its interesting to compare the comments (not the reporting, this time, thanks for that smaller-AA-blogger-team) for this story and the one regarding the issues at a "party store" in Ypsi. Both are within just a few blocks of the pertinent city police station. Both have a troubled history regarding reportable incidents; I believe at this time the location in AA is most violent in the results of those incidents. Acknowledging the issue is the first stage in addressing the issue; no matter the issue. Or the city.
tommysnell
Sat, Jun 18, 2011 : 11:11 p.m.
One: There is a Recession. Two : There maybe an issue with site management. IMO this place has not been efficiently managed since it was Maude's. I worked at Maude's and coincidentally have also witnessed "hanging out" with former management at this club and have worked at several others local night clubs that did NOT have the issues with liquor violations, violent and aggressive patrons as well as personal "issues" while working/hanging out that this site had had. I can tell you that the people (both patrons and employees) and the music played are huge variables. This makes it nearly impossible to predict who will act how and under what musical conditions, until you add hip hop/rap to the mix. Sorry, but as a club owner/employee it is a musical tightrope one must walk in this town, if you want to make cash AND offer a secure site. Hire a new Dj that understands how to turn a floor and play a current-sounding mix with more variety without inciting too much aggression with a nonstop barrage of bass. Three: Quit attending the after work parties until you can run a clean club.
James
Sat, Jun 18, 2011 : 8:56 p.m.
I know anytime I go to any bar/club and police come people seem to be more on edge and tend to leave, last night i was walking past this club and i noticed a few police cars out there. Is it necessary to have more than one squad car out side the establishment when there is only "15 people". I remembered when Big Sean came to ann arbor and came to Dream it was GREAT, Dream has to stay they bring SO many famous artist to UofM such as the likes of (of the time ive been a student here) wiz khalifa, mike posner, and Big sean all top 10 artist. "Dont judge a book by its cover" try the experince before you write this place off
st.julian
Sat, Jun 18, 2011 : 8:13 p.m.
What nonsense, a security reciever. This is waste of time and effort and diversion from the histoic facts that this owner has failed to run secure establishhment twice. What does it take to shut down a public nuisance? Council seems neutered in this matter. But give them a chance to ruin neighborhoods, sidestep parking responsibility, adopt unfeasible transportation plans and they do it with gusto.
diagbum
Sat, Jun 18, 2011 : 7:17 p.m.
2 large visible CCTV cameras on each corner of the building monitoring the front of the establishment would be a good start, it may not be a deterrent to crime but would definitely help AAPD solve some of these crimes. Many "Big City" clubs have security equipped with hand held metal detection units, that would help keep weapons off the premises. Get rid of the "V.I.P. Entrance" and have only one line for admittance to the club. Hire a professional security company instead of using "bouncers". The AAPD should maintain more of a presence in the area if it is know for trouble.
wlinsenbigler
Sat, Jun 18, 2011 : 5:09 p.m.
It is not the lack of people, it is the owners and managers. The same thing happened to Pub 13 and Divine in Ypsilanti. Workers at your place have friends and they have friends and they also have friends. All it takes is one person in a group to have had a bad experience with an owner or manager and that group will go get accustomed to having fun somewhere else. Let me in on a secret, if you are respectful to your employees and guests, they will come back and they will bring their friends and they will tell people that the place is fun to go to. Some of the best ran establishments in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti have owners and managers that do not "hang out" at their business. This has killed many places that I used to like to go to. As a manager or owner, hanging out with employees (especially) and hanging out at your establishment after work risks hurting business. If Washtenaw County and the State of Michigan cared about workers and how they were treated many establishments around the area would be facing lawsuits and in some cases criminal charges.
wlinsenbigler
Sat, Jun 18, 2011 : 9:53 p.m.
You answered your own question if you do not know the difference between "hanging out at" and "running your business". Also the way it can hurt business is like this: Person X gets offended by drunken people at the bar but has an otherwise good time. Person X is likely to return due to the slim chances of the same people being there. Person Y gets offended by the owner or manager (while hanging out, not working) and they are less likely to return due to the high probability of that person "hanging out" there. I am not even saying that the manager or owner are doing anything wrong, it is just that everything offends someone so it might as well be at the place you do not manage or own. Also when I say "after hours" I mean it in regards to after your shift or on off nights, I do not mean when the bar or restaurant is closed. The best way to avoid potential drama in the place you manage or own is to only work there, not play there as well. Also there is nothing wrong with being there, working, not potentially pissing off customers and/or employees by just being there. This of course is only my opinion.
EMU Pride
Sat, Jun 18, 2011 : 5:52 p.m.
Not sure how to take your comments ... what is "hanging out" at the business you own? How is that different from running your business? What is wrong with being there? Bars are tricky and money can slip thru your fingers if you are not around to watch over it ... as far as "hanging out" after work hours; the general public would not know this nor care! Of course, in time, having people run the place so you dont have to be there 24/7 is probably the goal. To be a success, a bar/nightclub needs many things to happen but the general public could care less who is running the place as long as its run well --- and the other factors: fun, safe, service, specials, etc etc and lUCK! I agree that managers need to be respectful to workers - of course! But there is a major disconnect in your arguement in the "hanging out" comments ...
xmo
Sat, Jun 18, 2011 : 3:54 p.m.
Business downtown is so hard to come by hopefully, the city can resist the temptation to stay involved!
shadow wilson
Sat, Jun 18, 2011 : 10:13 p.m.
What city are you referring to? Not A2. Main st is bumper to bumper all day everyday.Right now Sat nite I guarantee hundreds if not thousands of people will be out on Main st State st and South U and after top of the park runs it's course there will still be close to that number of people.......you must ow/work for the bar.
Berda Green
Sat, Jun 18, 2011 : 3:19 p.m.
we will see what happens when the art fair comes next month