Club Tropicante to fight Deerfield closure order

Deerfield Beach may shut down a club it considers a nuisance: It says it is poised to revoke its business license.

The city argues the club hasn’t been operating as a restaurant, even though its application to the city said it would be one.

A special magistrate agreed with the city in a July 25 ruling.

Mayor Bill Ganz said he has never known the club to be a restaurant.

Yelp, a reviews website, identifies the venue as a “dance club and music venue” and Eugene Steinfeld, the magistrate, cited internet ads that showed the same.

The owners of the establishment at 4251 N. Dixie Highway, have until Aug. 24 to file an appeal in Broward County Circuit Court.

“We’re looking forward to getting to a real court where there is an actual fair playing field,” said Daniel Aaronson, an attorney representing the club.

He noted the special magistrate who made the ruling is employed by Deerfield Beach.

The city in recent years has wanted to shut down the club, which drew renewed attention with a May 15 shooting.

A clubgoer was wounded as he left Club Tropicante at 3 a.m. A deputy heard the gunshots in the vicinity. Upon arriving, the deputy was shot at.

He returned fire and the suspects fled. Minutes later, the wounded man was found.

The suspect, Demetrius Vidale, was jailed on an attempted first-degree murder charge.

In 2015, the city compiled a report that showed calls for law