On Friday night, the NYC Department of Buildings shut down a show in progress at the beloved metal venue, Saint Vitus Bar (1120 Manhattan Ave.)
Mindforce, the show’s headliner, could not take the stage to perform as the DOB shut down the venue around 8 p.m., in the middle of a performance by Balmora. While the agency often shuts down construction sites and other infrastructure around the city, a visit to a local venue seems unusual, considering the NYPD or fire marshals generally handle business complaints. In a statement to Greenpointers, the DOB revealed the following information:
On 2/16/24, DOB conducted an inspection of 1120 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, in response to over a dozen 311 complaints from members of the public about the location.Upon our arrival to the scene, we found approximately 250 people on the first floor of the building, assembled in an illegal eating and drink establishment. The Certificate of Occupancy for the building indicates that the first floor of this building is to be used for a commercial store and for the storage of machinery.
As a result of our inspection we issued a violation to the property owner for operating the unpermitted place of assembly, contrary to the legal occupancy of the building. During our inspection, DOB did not issue a Vacate Order at the building.
This is the second time we have issued a violation to 1120 Manhattan Avenue for this issue. We previously issued a similar violation to the property owner on 7/21/23. This July 2023 violation was upheld by a judge at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) as properly issued during a scheduled violation hearing on 9/27/23. As a result, the OATH judge issued the property owner a penalty of $1,250, which the owners have already paid to the City.
The only Certificate of Occupancy on file with the DOB dates back to 1953.
Via their online records, the DOB’s resolution of the complaint noted that an inspector attempted to investigate the situation last November, but was unable to gain access inside.
According to DOB records, one complainant in particular has seemingly been logging complaints for the past few months and noted to the DOB their intention to reach out every day until the situation is remedied. According to the DOB’s records, the agency acted on a complaint from September 2023. The complaint reads:
As of Friday, September 22, 2023 the following are facts about 1120 Manhattan Avenue know to the public as Saint Vitus Bar: 1) Saint Vitus Bar does not have any maximum occupancy signs posted anywhere, and more often than not they host more people than their allotted maximum capacity. 2) Saint Vitus Bar’s most recent Certificate of Occupancy on file with the Department of Buildings does not allow it to operate as an eating/drinking establishment. There is no other Certificate of Occupancy or Letter of No Objection that supersedes their Certificate of Occupancy dated November 12, 1953. 3) Saint Vitus Bar is currently operating without a Place of Assembly Certificate of Operation (PACO). 4) Saint Vitus Bar was issued summons (see ECB Violation # 39090715Z) for ALTERED/CHANGE BUILDING OCCUPIED WITHOUT A VALID C OF O AS PER 28-118.3.1- 28-118.1-2. They have paid the penalty but have not corrected the situation. I will continue to make this complaint on a daily basis until either the Department of Buildings performs an inspection or until Saint Vitus Bar can remedy their situation.
Saint Vitus made a series of statements on Instagram, thanking fans for their support over the past 13 years of operation. “We are saddened and deeply frustrated by the circumstances and are working to remedy the situation as fast as we can,” a statement reads in part.
What a shame! Saint Vitus rocks. Anyone know what it’s gonna take for them to re-open.