Serious Questions
After all I've have been reading about the Old City and our perceived "prejudicial concerns," I thought it best to set the record straight. The Old City and its merchants are not a bunch of racists. We are a small group of business people trying to keep our heads above water. After several years of economic hardship, merchants are aware that what happens outside their doors is impacting what is happening inside their businesses.
It was through this attitude of awareness that the Platinum Lounge came to our attention. Councilwoman Malone asked if the Harpers were being put under greater scrutiny than others. Definitely not! When Banana Joe's announced they were going into the Hooray's building, we checked them out too. We visited their website. We spoke to people who had patronized their other locations. We even met the owners and their management team. We were thrilled that an experienced business operator who had staying power was coming to the Old City. That is an important ingredient in economic success for business districts.
So you can be sure that we were all excited that another empty building was going to be occupied. On Monday, Presidents Day, we called the Beer Board and were told that it was a relocation from an existing address. We went to 1500 N. Cherry St. to find the Platinum Lounge. The address turned out to be the Rama Inn. (The sign used to say Ramada.) I inquired from the owner about the Platinum Lounge and its whereabouts. He told me that they had been renting the abandoned restaurant in the parking lot on weekends and running a BYOB establishment. No business licenses verify the existence of the Platinum Lounge at that address. I asked him why they were leaving; he said that he had too many fights along with motel rooms and cars broken into. Police records indicated over 250 calls for service at that address. While all those calls were not related to the nightclub, it adds validity to what the owner said.
We then went next door to get information off the beer permit notice posted in the door to aid us in contacting the business owners. It was here that a window full of "gangster" rap posters confronted us. They were posters of a popular rap artist named Lil' Wayne. The posters were from an album titled The Block is Hot. Its cover shows a burning police car with bullet holes. We even went and bought the CDs and listened to them. With lyrics like "any n****r f**ks with me, the bullets are going to fly," the merchants were very concerned. You have to understand we have been here before.
On the next day, Tuesday, 60 merchants and residents signed a petition voicing their concerns about this type of business returning to the Old City. It was to be presented to the Beer Board that evening. I also left word for the property owner to call us so we could inquire about his new tenants. At 3 p.m., three hours before the Beer Board hearing, a young man came to see me and introduced himself as Baffin Harper Jr. He said that he was the owner of the Platinum Lounge and had heard we were challenging his application for a beer permit. He wanted to talk to me and clear up any misunderstanding. Twenty minutes later an older gentleman arrived and was introduced as Baffin Harper Sr. Baffin Jr. informed myself and Chamber staff that father and son are partners in this endeavor. The Harpers stated that they did not intend on opening the kind of club we feared but wanted to run a responsible business. Baffin Jr. gave us details on the kind of establishment he ran on Cherry St. We were feeling better and agreed to withdraw our protest at the hearing. We offered to help to get their business open and to facilitate their integration into the Old City business community. At the end of the meeting, the Harpers once again introduced themselves to the president of the Blues Society as the owners.
When the Harpers first went in front of the Beer Board we were surprised to find out that Baffin Jr. was not listed on the application. In his place was his wife. What was the reason for this? Is his record such that he would be disqualified as owner or manager? Doesn't state law require all partners in a business to be listed on the application? Why did Mr. Harper stand up in front of the Beer Board and deny his son's participation at this past Tuesday's hearing after so many introductions and interviews stating father and son are partners in this venture? That's for him to answer.
It was the Saturday following the first Beer Board meeting that I got the return phone call from the property owner where the Platinum Lounge wants to locate. He said that he was unaware that a "lounge" was going into their building. He was shocked to find out that the Harpers had applied for an alcohol permit since he had been told that it was going to be a "Christian" deli, "a place where a church deacon could go and be comfortable." He stated that had he known they intended to sell alcohol, he would have never rented it to them. It is against his spiritual beliefs. The property owner also stated that he did not intend to have the property rezoned to facilitate parking for a nightclub. What is the true nature of this business? Is the Platinum Lounge really a Christian deli? I checked the application again and noticed next to the property owner's name, in the box reserved for his phone number, the Harpers had placed their own number. This would make it difficult to contact the owner. The property owner was also concerned that construction work is almost completed yet there had been no building permits or the inspections that accompany them. Because of this, the Harpers have been served two "stop work notices" by city officials for failure to comply with city ordinances. This is the attitude that concerns us.
I can assure you that this is not about race and I am not a racist. In January I was nominated for the Martin Luther King Award in Asheville, N.C. for my work in support of the African-American business community. In the Old City, we have businesses owned by women, African Americans, Asian Americans, and gays. An African-American woman recently opened a hip-hop clothing store. I saw no petition against her. I can't think of anywhere else in Knoxville with that kind of diversity on display in such a small area. It is a shame that the media played the race card and the Harpers played along. It is not the truth and hurts the causes that legitimately need to use it. The merchants in the Old City are now proactive in determining their future. We welcome businesses regardless of race that will contribute to the well being of the entire community and discourage those that have only their own shortsighted agenda in mind. We support everyone who wishes to be a legitimate part of this community. We also stand ready to challenge anyone that puts our futures in jeopardy. Serious questions remain to be answered by the Harpers before they decide to take legal action. We would like to thank the Beer Board members who saw through the deceit and denied the application. Those of us who know the truth will support you in defense of that decision.
Doug Beatty
Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria
Knoxville
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