NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — After city crackdowns of nightlife in downtown Norfolk, community leaders and business owners say entertainment in the area is more or less dead.

The city hammered down on bars and clubs after several shootings in the area, including a deadly shooting at Chicho’s in 2022.

NEON District co-founder Charles Rasputin disagreed with that decision and said clubs aren’t the main cause of violence, and are actually some of the best ways to teach young people life lessons about consent and responsibility.

“You can’t have that conversation if there isn’t a club,” Rasputin said. “People will just find fun to have and then you can’t even govern it.”

He told 10 On Your Side that he believes the lack of abundant nightlife is a result of city leadership dropping the ball.

“I think we really need to think about the future,” he said. “We have gamification, casinos coming, all of these new innovations and technology and we’re still stuck in the past. And if we don’t help nightlife grow and flourish here, we’re failing our children.”

Some business owners along Granby Street, such as Phillip James of PJay’s Kitchen, agree with Rasputin.

“I feel like there’s not much for people to come do here,” James said. “We close at seven because of that.”

He said new outdoor seating regulations will hurt the downtown atmosphere even more.

He told 10 On Your Side that business owners will now have to pay for the seating, which popped up during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to comply with spacing guidelines.

“We have more seating outside than we do inside,” James said, “so this is crucial to my business success. So hopefully whatever happens, if they charge us, I’m going to have to pay.”

In response, a city of Norfolk spokesperson sent a statement, saying in part, “To date, no establishments with streateries have paid any rental fee to the city. The city has been reaching out to the individual establishments regarding their outdoor dining operations. There’s no deadline for compliance currently as we’re working with businesses on a case-by-case basis.”

They also sent a statement regarding nightlife in the area, saying in part, “Downtown is vibrant and offers opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy. There are numerous City-owned and privately owned entertainment venues downtown. These establishments provide for a variety of special events, concerts and other programming year-round. The city recently hosted a well-attended seminar for entrepreneurs and business owners interested in obtaining Conditional Use Permits, including late night entertainment.