After mass shooting, Doral’s nightlife may see changes. How late could bars stay open?
After hours of contentious debate, Doral city council members voted Wednesday to move toward shuttering bars earlier in CityPlace Doral — a month after a mass shooting at Martini Bar killed two people and injured seven others.
Under the newly approved ordinance, most bars, nightclubs and entertainment venues would have a last call at 1:30 a.m. and close at 2 a.m., two hours earlier than usual.
While officials have to vote on the ordinance again in June before it becomes final, the proposal would still allow eligible businesses to obtain an extended hour permit to stay open until 4 a.m. Establishments in CityPlace and Downtown Doral, however, will be barred from obtaining the special exception.
The changes, if passed, would go into effect on Sept. 30.
The proposal, authored by council member Mauren Porras, led scores of people to the council chambers. Proponents of the measure called for shortened bar hours, earlier cutoffs of alcohol sales and more safety considerations. Bar owners said the measure would kill their businesses.
Though Doral Mayor Christi Fraga penned her own proposal, Porras’ passed in a 4-1 vote, with the mayor being the sole dissenting voice.
“This tragic event impacted us,” Fraga said as she turned to the families of the victims. “We should learn from our mistakes.”
The April 6 shooting, which occurred around 3:30 a.m., claimed the life of the bar’s 23-year-old security guard, George Castellanos. Seven people, including an unnamed Doral police officer, were injured.
READ MORE: Security guard killed in Doral bar shooting was an FIU student and future police officer
They were identified as Lester Williams Gonzalez, 28; Sonia Muñoz Torres, 48; Gerard Patrick “Joe” Delaney, one of Martini Bar’s owners; siblings Yaniris Jerez, 30, and Miguel Jerez, 34; and Yaniris’ boyfriend Carlos Milán, 38.
READ MORE: Who blasted the bullets that hit 6 bystanders in mass shooting at a trendy Doral bar?
Suspected shooter Jamal Wood, 37, died at the scene. Since the shooting, several victims have filed negligence lawsuits against Martini Bar and CityPlace.
READ MORE: Doral mass shooting victims’ lawsuit says Martini Bar and CityPlace Doral were negligent
Jeanina Castellanos, the mother of the slain security guard, told reporters Wednesday she’s comforted that city officials took steps toward implementing restrictions. She also noted that she hopes venues place metal detectors and require security guards to wear bulletproof vests.
“It’s important to pass an ordinance that brings more security,” Castellanos told the Miami Herald in Spanish. “If there had been a metal detector, what happened to my son may not have happened.”
Doral bar owners threaten to sue
All but one of the speakers representing Doral’s nightlife opposed the measures, which they said would severely affect their businesses.
Attorney Brad Berkman, speaking on behalf of Martini Bar, said the bar has been doing business in various locations in Florida for decades and had never experienced a mass shooting.
“Rollback hours are extreme,” said Berkman, a member of the hospitality, alcohol and leisure industry group at Greenspoon Marder. “We are also residents of this community, and our employees are residents of this community. [There will be] a significant impact, a negative economic impact.”
READ MORE: ‘We would not survive this.’ What Doral nightspots say about call for early closures
Louis Terminello, one of the co-owners of Martini Bar, questioned why businesses in CityPlace would be treated differently from venues only two blocks away on Northwest 36th Street.
“You can’t have one area different from another, the federal and Florida constitutions require equal protection, and Florida law prohibits spot zoning,” he said.
For Porras, venues like CityPlace should be restricted from obtaining extended hours permits because they are gathering spots for large groups of people, making them susceptible to violent outbreaks.
READ MORE: ‘Mass shooting. People down’: 911 calls reveal frantic scene during Doral bar shooting
Terminello, also an attorney at Greenspoon Marder, hinted at suing, saying the courts could “decide if it is constitutional and equitable to treat businesses differently.”
What else could change?
The agreed-on proposal would require additional safety measures at bars and clubs, like installing cameras and weapons detection systems, increasing security presence and hiring off-duty police officers. The proposed ordinance would tailor a security plan for each establishment, approved by the police chief, that would factor in the business’ occupancy and any history of violent incidents.
However, many Doral bars and nightclubs said they have already implemented such measures, business owners have previously told the Herald.
Doral’s nightlife in CityPlace would be the most affected by proposed changes to extended hour permits. While Downtown Doral would face the same restrictions, the area’s restaurants already close at 1 a.m.
Businesses impacted in CityPlace would include:
▪ Martini Bar Doral
▪ King Dining & Entertainment
▪ Kuba Cabana
▪ Chico Malo
▪ Miami Improv Comedy Club and Dinner Theater
▪ Copper Blues Rock Pub & Kitchen
According to city records, some of the venues that currently operate on an extended hours permit and would be eligible to continue to do so under the proposal include:
▪ La Terrazza de Bolivar, 11402 NW 41 St., Suite 100
▪ El Maní Restaurant & Salsa Bar, 1200 NW 78th Ave., Suite 116
▪ Club Pink Pony, 7971 NW 33rd St.
▪ Champions Bar & Grill, 4400 NW 87th Ave.
▪ Trump National Doral Miami, 4400 NW 87th Ave.
Porras said the former city manager, Barbara “Barbie” Hernandez, who was fired in January due to conflict of interest, hadn’t effectively checked if businesses, including Martini Bar, were following extended hour regulations, which allow a bar or club to stay open to 4 a.m.
READ MORE: Doral Council boots school board member from City Hall office after firing his wife
“The previous city manager approved several extensions during her tenure where she had full opportunities to confirm establishment compliance,” Porras said.
Terminello, however, denied the allegations.
“...Not one time since it has been operating, and after more than 40 inspectors have visited Martini Bar over the years, has anyone from the city or code enforcement ever said that Martini Bar was operating unlawfully,” he said.
