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Gay bar gets county for landlord
Friday, March 25, 2005
By Kyla King
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Kent County Commissioner Harold Voorhees questioned Thursday whether Kent County should be the landlord to a downtown Grand Rapids nightclub that welcomes gays and lesbians.
But breaking the 10-year lease with Diversions Video Bar &Grill could cost up to a half-million dollars, based on the annual rent. Voorhees, R-Wyoming, a fiscal conservative and outspoken critic of homosexuality, said he favors looking into breaking the lease, despite the cost.
"It's not a family-oriented type of business," Voorhees said. "I question the county being a landlord of a business with these type of activities."
The issue surfaced Thursday, at the first full board meeting since the county took ownership of the building, as part of a discussion about maintenance.
No other commissioners weighed in.
Diversions has been operating in the 73-year-old building for 11 years. County Administrator Daryl Delabbio said the county, which has rented a portion of the 82 Ionia Ave. NW building since 1998, had an option to buy it and did not have a choice in the matter.
"We were hoping that things would just work out to everyone's benefit," he said. "Which meant that either they would find a different location, or they would just remain a tenant until the lease expired."
But Delabbio said he is not willing to spend a large amount of taxpayer money to break the lease. And he said he does not have a problem with the fact that it is a gay bar. His concern is being the landlord of an after-business-hours drinking establishment. Diversions is open from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
"From my perspective, it's the liability issue," Delabbio said.
Robb Wiersum, who owns the club, said he has been a good tenant and community member, raising more than $500,000 for charity since opening. He said he has told county officials he is willing to address any security concerns and look at offering food at lunch for employees in the building.
"We're not the rough-'em-up kind of bar that have police at them every weekend," Wiersum said. "They haven't had any problems with us."
Wiersum said he does not intend to leave, at this point.
"I've got a great location and I've got a great lease," he said. "But everything has a price. That's just how business is. If they came with a reasonable offer, I'd have to consider it."
As part of a longtime plan, Kent County took ownership earlier this month of the former Furniture Building at 82 Ionia Ave. NW from Sibsco LLC, a real-estate development company controlled by Grand Rapids businessman Peter Secchia
County officials were leasing space in the building for the prosecutor's office, Friend of the Court, and Circuit Court probation.
Under the $5.4 million deal, the county inherited five tenants: Diversions, the National Labor Relations Board, Grand Rapids 61st District Court drug testing, and two telecommunications companies.
Friday, March 25, 2005
By Kyla King
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Kent County Commissioner Harold Voorhees questioned Thursday whether Kent County should be the landlord to a downtown Grand Rapids nightclub that welcomes gays and lesbians.
But breaking the 10-year lease with Diversions Video Bar &Grill could cost up to a half-million dollars, based on the annual rent. Voorhees, R-Wyoming, a fiscal conservative and outspoken critic of homosexuality, said he favors looking into breaking the lease, despite the cost.
"It's not a family-oriented type of business," Voorhees said. "I question the county being a landlord of a business with these type of activities."
The issue surfaced Thursday, at the first full board meeting since the county took ownership of the building, as part of a discussion about maintenance.
No other commissioners weighed in.
Diversions has been operating in the 73-year-old building for 11 years. County Administrator Daryl Delabbio said the county, which has rented a portion of the 82 Ionia Ave. NW building since 1998, had an option to buy it and did not have a choice in the matter.
"We were hoping that things would just work out to everyone's benefit," he said. "Which meant that either they would find a different location, or they would just remain a tenant until the lease expired."
But Delabbio said he is not willing to spend a large amount of taxpayer money to break the lease. And he said he does not have a problem with the fact that it is a gay bar. His concern is being the landlord of an after-business-hours drinking establishment. Diversions is open from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
"From my perspective, it's the liability issue," Delabbio said.
Robb Wiersum, who owns the club, said he has been a good tenant and community member, raising more than $500,000 for charity since opening. He said he has told county officials he is willing to address any security concerns and look at offering food at lunch for employees in the building.
"We're not the rough-'em-up kind of bar that have police at them every weekend," Wiersum said. "They haven't had any problems with us."
Wiersum said he does not intend to leave, at this point.
"I've got a great location and I've got a great lease," he said. "But everything has a price. That's just how business is. If they came with a reasonable offer, I'd have to consider it."
As part of a longtime plan, Kent County took ownership earlier this month of the former Furniture Building at 82 Ionia Ave. NW from Sibsco LLC, a real-estate development company controlled by Grand Rapids businessman Peter Secchia
County officials were leasing space in the building for the prosecutor's office, Friend of the Court, and Circuit Court probation.
Under the $5.4 million deal, the county inherited five tenants: Diversions, the National Labor Relations Board, Grand Rapids 61st District Court drug testing, and two telecommunications companies.
I'm not a gay person, but I'm still ticked to see county politicians trying to squeeze their way into other people's buisness. I guess what really got to me was this:
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But breaking the 10-year lease with Diversions Video Bar &Grill could cost up to a half-million dollars, based on the annual rent. Voorhees, R-Wyoming, a fiscal conservative and outspoken critic of homosexuality, said he favors looking into breaking the lease, despite the cost.
If there was one person I'd love to see leave the county, leave the entire state is Voorhees. He is really starting to put a BAD image on Grand Rapids. Hes not even in Grand Rapids, hes in Wyoming He shouldn't even have a voice in the matter. As much as I love Grand Rapids, its politicians like this that make me step back and wonder what direction is this place really going?
Some of you might disagree with me. Thats ok, and if this isn;t the right forum for this, feel free to remove it, but I saw this article, and I had to comment on it.
