Spire owner says nightclub followed coronavirus occupation rules

About 12:30 p.m. Sunday, officers were sent to the 1720 Main St. nightclub in downtown Houston, alluding to reports of a large gathering. Upon arrival, units saw an estimated 200 people waiting in line outside the club. In addition to the crowds outside, the club had exceeded its capacity inside, Houston police said.

Truesdell said the club exceeded capacity after customers rushed into an unattended back door outside.

The club hosted an event called the “All Black Affair” on Saturday night, according to the club’s website. An event poster listed Larry Morrow, Trey Songz, Kenny Burns and Fabolous as some of the notable personalities expected to appear at the event. Officers said some attendees to the event had traveled from San Antonio and New Orleans to attend.

“When some of the performers showed up, the people behind them, their entourages and just people on the street were bombing the doors and the fire chief was with us in the office,” said Truesdell.

Truesdell said the fire chief was on hand to ensure the club did not exceed its assigned occupancy. The building has a maximum capacity of 1,200 people, Truesdell said. Under Governor Abbott’s Executive Order GA-32, the club is allowed to be open at 50% of its maximum capacity – 600 customers. Truesdell added that after the crowd rushed a back door, club security could not keep up with the number of people in the building.

He said it was then that the fire chief had made the decision to close the club for tonight.

“She was uncomfortable with the number of people who had bombed the door and came in,” Truesdell said. “We didn’t have an exact count of it because when she got there, we had a good count. Our count was in line with what it was supposed to be when she was there. We never would have been bombed if we had the Harris County sheriffs working all night. “

To stop the crowd, Truesdell said, security placed a barricade in front of the door. That violated the fire code, as it limited the number of safe exits available in an emergency.

“It did not provide a safe exit for people to leave the club,” said Truesdell. “That’s why we’re closed.”

Truesdell said the club was cited for the violation.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said in a prepared statement Monday that it was “investigating the events that took place at Club Spire this weekend. If the investigation reveals a violation, the agency may impose a fine as specified in GA-32. In the meantime, we will continue to work with our local partners in the city of Houston and Harris County to ensure the safety of all residents and visitors. ”

Spire had previously been suspended for violation of the governor’s executive order, according to the agency:

• First Suspension – July 1-9, 2020

• Second suspension – October 20-23, 2020

Enforcement of occupancy restrictions has remained an exciting topic since they were introduced, with some wondering if the authorities are enforcing the rules.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said on Monday that he is not only focused on closing an establishment, but would do so if it encourages events that could potentially lead to the spread of COVID-19.

Turner added that the city would keep a closer eye on settlements in the area.

“I want to let people know, different clubs and bars, Washington Avenue – you’re in the know,” said Turner. “I’ll tell you in advance.”

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.