ELMNT Lounge shut down, Milwaukee Common Council revokes license

Council votes to shut down ELMNT Lounge

Milwaukee's Common Council on Tuesday voted to shut down ELMNT Lounge. The bar's attorney said it sets a problematic precedent for other bar owners.

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee's Common Council on Tuesday voted to shut down ELMNT Lounge.

How we got here

Timeline:

A new owner took over ELMNT Lounge in June. Later that month, officers responded to a shooting at a nearby parking garage that involved patrons who had just left the bar.

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Six people were shot outside the club during a drive-by in July. Two of those people died.

Police scene outside ELMNT Lounge 

In September, the Milwaukee Police Department filed a revocation complaint citing multiple shootings connected to the lounge. The Common Council's License Committee approved the complaint in October.

And on Tuesday, the full Common Council voted 11-4 to revoke ELMNT Lounge's license, shutting down the bar.

Will ELMNT Lounge close?

What they're saying:

October's revocation hearing lasted more than four hours. Multiple people testified, some pushing to shut down ELMNT Lounge and others saying the bar was being blamed for things out of its control. 

"They attributed the last 20 years of the problems there to my client," said Attorney Michael Maistelman.

ELMNT Lounge

Still, Maistelman said the battle isn't over: They're taking the city to court.

"We have a few days to get into court and get a judge – try to convince a judge that the city erred in their decision based on the law and the facts," he said. "Hopefully we will get a restraining order to keep them open pending a whole hearing on the merits."

What's next:

For now, the bar will be closed this weekend. Maistelman hopes to get the case to a judge this week. 

Problem vs. precedent 

Dig deeper:

Ald. Bob Bauman, who represents the district ELMNT Lounge is in, cited suspensions dating back to 2008. Neighborhood property owners said tenants have broken leases over safety concerns.

"I asked the committee, what’s your biggest problem on Water Street? And they said ELMNT bar," said Bauman.

Milwaukee City Hall

"We do want to emphasize, violence of this nature threatens our city’s reputation," Peggy Williams-Smith, CEO of Visit Milwaukee, said during the hearing.

ELMNT Lounge's attorney said the decision sets a problematic precedent for other bar owners.

"I think a lot of the bar owners and nightclub owners in the city are concerned that they are going to be held responsible for activities from people that are not even frequenting their establishments that occur outside," Maistelman said.

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ELMNT Lounge's owner said there were contractual obligations from the previous owner. Once those were done, the plan was to turn it into a sports bar.

"We filed an amendment to our public entertainment premise license – removing dancing, disk jockeys, promoters and asking for pool tables," said Maistelman.

Still, the city ultimately decided it was time to close.