The City of Birmingham can move forward with its plans to close a LGBTQ nightclub where two people were shot and killed earlier this year after a Jefferson County judge lifted a temporary restraining order Friday.
Dan Sparks, owner of The Quest Club at 416 24th Street South, fought the Birmingham City Council’s decision to pull his establishment’s business and liquor licenses and dancing permit, claiming the city didn’t give him proper notice of the hearing or that it revoked his licenses, among other claims.
Meanwhile, lawyers for the city told Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Marshell Jackson Hatcher that Sparks was given proper notice on Thursday, when it enforced the revocation of The Quest’s business license.
Hatcher vacated his temporary restraining order on Friday, meaning the city can proceed with closing the popular LGBTQ dance club that opened in 1982.
The club was the scene of a double homicide in May that left 32-year-old Shane Gady and Terrell Brown, Jr., also 32, dead.
Sparks blamed lax gun laws, not his club’s safety policies, for the incident, while the city claimed The Quest had poor or no security screening.
Yashiba Glenn-Blanchard, an attorney for Sparks, could not be reached for comment.
City spokesman Rick Journey did not have a statement on the judge’s order.
