Concerns raised about violence around club
Residents pushing for park in troubled downtown area
The city’s licensing director is probing a downtown nightclub that’s the focus of an intensifying community-driven expropriation campaign and where a bouncer was shot to death last month.
The director, Ken Leendertse, is “taking it very seriously” and gathering facts about Club Seventy Seven, licensing inspector Cindy Heuck told a forum of rattled area residents Tuesday night.
Residents of the Film Lofts, a condo building that’s across the street from the King William Street club, peppered police and city officials about how to curb violence around the nightspot.
The condo owners and Beasley Neighbourhood Association are pressuring the city to expropriate the club as soon as possible to expedite the creation of a park, which was stalled in 2012.
“It’s a wasteland of parking lots,” Carol Priamo, who bought her condo six years ago, told the forum at the nearby Empire Times building.
The city set John-Rebecca Park aside when it shifted focus to a Gore Park revamp with the Royal Connaught condo redevelopment and Pan Am Games ahead.
The new schedule will see the King William park — bounded by Rebecca, Catharine and John streets — occupy an entire municipal parking lot behind the club by 2021-22.
Downtown Coun. Jason Farr said the clear message is to complete the park sooner, but he’ll have to consult his fellow city politicians.
“I will be coming forward with something to say.”
He declined to speak about expropriation, calling it a “delicate” matter that ought to be discussed in closed session with councillors.
After the forum, Farr said it would have been helpful had Club Seventy Seven representatives addressed the crowd instead of sitting silently taking notes.
“What a wonderful opportunity squandered.”
Paul McDonald, general manager of the club, said he was there to “collect information” for owner Anthony Sa. “There’s nothing I can say.” Doorman Vince Lofaro, 46, was killed outside the club as he finished his Friday night shift on May 13.
Jackie Attard, the mother of his eightyear-old son, Nate, told the forum her boy misses his father. “Nobody could ever replace his daddy to him.”
Attard, who lives in Brampton, said Lofaro’s “heartless” violent death was preventable.
Since his death, police have released scant information about the early-morning shooting.
Acting Det. Sgt. Dave Oleniuk, who’s supervising the file, said Monday the investigating is ongoing but wouldn’t comment further.
Insp. Glenn Bullock wouldn’t discuss the investigation either, but he told Tuesday night’s forum police have focused more of their attention on the area since the fatal shooting.
That includes plainclothes officers, members of the ACTION team and mounted police, he said.
But Bullock stressed tackling crime requires the co-operation of many actors, including community members, the city and other government bodies, such as the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). “We are very much aware of the issue.” Heuck noted the city’s licensing office, doesn’t have the authority to close the club but can issue charges for violations which are dealt with by a tribunal.