711 Bourbon Street - REOPENED?!?!

The bar at 711 Bourbon Street has obtained a court order to reopen!  VCPORA needs your help in getting city officials to enforce the law and protect our irreplaceable Vieux Carre!  Click below to read more!

Yesterday evening, we received the following email from Lary Hesdorffer, director of the Vieux Carre Commission. 

This message is to confirm that on this date, attorney Steven Whitman, acting on behalf of 711 Entertainment LLC, was granted a Temporary Restraining Order that instructs the City of NO, the VCC, and the NOPD to cease any activities that would prevent 711 Entertainment LLC from going onto the site or any action that would “obstruct” or “impede” the opening and operations of the “first floor existing bar business of the nightclub identified as Bourbon Lights located at 709-13 Bourbon Street.”

The TRO was granted by Judge Robin M. Giarrusso; however, a preliminary injunction is set to be heard in Judge Giarrusso’s court on Friday, October 9, 2009 at 10 AM.  

The City of New Orleans Law Department is preparing to argue again on behalfof the VCC and the City when the preliminary injunction is heard next Friday. 

In short, the operators of the bar at 711 Bourbon obtained a court order allowing them to reopen!

Needless to say, we are not pleased!  VCPORA has spent today meeting with representatives of French Quarter Citizens to figure out our next move.  As you'll see in the press release we circulated (below) we are planning to intervene in the city's legal action to protect not only 711 Bourbon, but the integrity of the entire French Quarter. 


Your emails to city officials over the past 10 days have drawn attention to this important case.  We need you to continue!  Please copy and paste the following email addresses into your "to" box.  Suggested text is below, but we encourage you to write a personalized note.

Ray.Nagin@mayorofno.com, jcarter@cityofno.com, jbclarkson@cityofno.com, afielkow@cityofno.com, shead@cityofno.com, smidura@cityofno.com,chmorrell@cityofno.com, cwlewis@cityofno.com, pamay@cityofno.com,  lhesdorffer@cityofno.com, ehosli@cityofno.com, info@vcpora.org, pmfields@cityofno.com

Dear City Officials - vital protections for the Vieux Carre and for public safety are being undermined by the city's inability to enforce the laws regarding legally required permits.  I ask that you take immediate action to assure the citizens that the laws will be applied in this and in all cases.  Regards, - - -

And here is our joint press release:

Yesterday, 711 Entertainment LLC obtained a court order against the City of New Orleans, the Vieux Carre Commission, and the New Orleans Police Department continuing their efforts to prevent reopening the Bourbon Lights Night Club at 711 Bourbon Street. 

711 Entertainment LLC claimed “for approximately fifty (50) years, this property was used as a nightclub/bar but later became dilapidated and in disrepair until the owner of the property began work on the property to make it a functioning commercial venue….” What they did not say is that the owner failed to secure all required permits to perform this work, or that the basis for stop work orders from the VCC was, among other things, the destruction of an exterior structural wall of this historic building.  The owner made these modifications presumably for its tenant, 711 Entertainment LLC, without submitting required building plans or permit applications to Safety and Permits or the VCC.

This order allowing Bourbon Lights to continue operation creates a danger to the existence of the Vieux Carre’, and dangers to the public as well.  It undermines the institutions that are supposed to protect citizens and visitors and the French Quarter. It subjects the City to liability for dangers from a building in operation but not required to follow the due process required for public safety.

The city’s inability enforce the law leaves us no choice but to take this issue to the public.  VCPORA and French Quarter Citizens are planning to intervene in legal proceedings in support of equal enforcement of the City’s laws and regulations.  We call on the mayor, the City Council, Safety and Permits, the Vieux Carre Commission, and the state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control to follow procedure to ensure enforcement. 

Mike Moffitt, President of VCPORA says, “It is tragic that the City Attorney and Safety and Permits did not act on early alarms from the Vieux Carre Commission or effectively present their case to prevent the granting of this temporary injunction.”

CoCo Paddison, President of FQC says, “We are outraged that an order was issued against the VCC who is responsible for the integrity of the French Quarter and the New Orleans Police who are responsible for enforcing the law.”