NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A downtown Norfolk business that had its permit revoked after a quadruple shooting outside earlier this year has ended its appeal process to reopen as a nightclub.
Marcus Calabrese, a spokesperson for Legacy Lounge on E. Plume Street, confirmed the news to WAVY on Monday.
“The owners of Legacy Lounge would like to thank viewers for their support during this publicly and privately challenging experience,” Calabrese wrote in a statement. “As veterans who have fought for their country they’ve fought for their business and their employees who helped build it. However, they are a small business without a big budget for legal expenses and have decided to drop the case against the City of Norfolk. They will resume exploring operating their business within the confines Norfolk has provided and remain open to opportunities in Hampton Roads.”
Legacy has remained closed since a court denied its request for an injunction to reopen back in late October. Their attorney Tim Anderson then filed an expedited appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court.
The City of Norfolk pulled the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the club after four people, including a sheriff’s deputy, were shot outside in August. The city argued that Legacy didn’t have marked security at the time, but video provided by Legacy’s owners shows there was security.
“There is nothing any restaurant could have done to stop that from happening. There is no amount of security or police that could have stopped that from happening,” Anderson said earlier this year. “This business did everything right and shutting them down is outrageous.”
Four nightclubs downtown have had their CUPs revoked by the city in 2022. Norfolk leaders have sought to prevent future violence in the aftermath of several high-profile shootings in the area this past year.