ATLANTA — The Elleven45 Lounge will remain shut down permanently.
Channel 2′s Michael Seiden was inside the courtroom Friday when it was revealed that the lounge’s owners have plans to rebrand the establishment as a restaurant with a new name, an upscale menu, and enhanced security measures.
A waitress from the club testified about the new plans, stating that she is overseeing the recruitment of a new security company tasked with ensuring the safety of patrons.
“I was there for the interview of them, making sure they are meeting everything we need before we open the restaurant,” she said.
However, city officials argue that the establishment has been a hotspot for violence, including the deadly mass shooting on Mother’s Day that also injured four others.
They are advocating for its permanent closure.
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The club’s owner, Djibril Dafe, was unable to testify as he remains in Fulton County jail, arrested on an outstanding warrant related to a 2023 criminal case.
Instead, Dafe’s employee provided insights into the owner’s new venture plans.
The court also heard from Tim Rehklau, the Chief Building Inspector for the City of Atlanta.
Rehklau testified that during a property inspection last year, he found multiple violations, including an unsafe patio.
“So as we stand here today, it’s still an unsafe building?” attorneys asked Rehklau.
“Absolutely,” Rehklau said.
Adding to the city’s case, Kelly Harrison, a concerned homeowner living less than a mile from the nightclub, described the establishment as a “neighborhood nuisance,” citing issues such as noise, crime, and the derelict state of the building.
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