Posted: June 17, 2009

Brown Deer — For the second year in a row, the renewal of licenses for Bradley's Jazz Club comes with some conditions.

The Village Board on Monday approved liquor and entertainment licenses that will allow the establishment at 4740 W. Bradley Road to operate for another year, but the process again revealed issues at the club.

The licenses will not be issued until owner Lewis Anyanwu corrects problems noted by the North Shore Fire Department, the North Shore Health Department and the building inspector.

The licenses also were approved with a stipulation requiring Anyanwu to notify the Police Department about special events 21 days in advance.

Anyanwu's current licenses expire June 30 and the new ones are good for one year.

A troubled history

In 2007, Anyanwu and his partners, Arlis Jones and Michael Kern, presented plans for a jazz club targeting a upper-middle class, older audience. The plan never got off the ground when the partners discovered the building needed costly renovations, including a fire sprinkler system. In June 2008, Jones, who held the liquor license, and Anyanwu filed competing applications for renewal.

After Anyanwu sought an injunction from the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, Judge John DiMotto directed Jones to withdraw his application. As the village worked with Anyanwu on his application, staff discovered a lack of compliance on a variety of occupancy issues that the partners had been directed to correct in April 2007.

The conditions for occupancy included the installation of a fire alarm monitoring system and a new sign, and repairs to the parking lot and heating and air conditioning systems. The village ordered the club closed when Anyanwu failed to complete that work in September 2008. The club reopened in November after the work was completed.

The board tabled action on the license renewals two weeks ago after learning that the company monitoring the fire alarm system had turned it off because Bradley's had not paid its bill. The village closed the club on June 4, citing the lack of a fire alarm as an unsafe condition. The club reopened later that day after the bill was paid and the alarm system was reactivated.

Some issues still outstanding

The village continues to have issues with the general condition of the club. There are electrical violations found in November 2008 during a routine fire inspection that had not been corrected as of Monday night.

The Health Department also recently ordered two pages of corrections for sanitary violations in the kitchen and storage areas. The corrections include repairing paper towel dispensers, removing mouse droppings and cleaning and sanitizing the areas where they were found, and taking pest control measures.

In order for the new licenses to be issued effective July 1, all violations must be corrected.

The Police Department, called to the club on numerous occasions for noise violations, fights and suspected drug use during the past year, was prepared to hold a hearing to revoke the club's entertainment license in May, but Police Chief Steven Rinzel and Anyanwu reached an agreement that outlines procedures for special events at the club.

According to the agreement, a special event is defined as a gathering of 250 or more people or an event in which underage people will be present.

Anyanwu, who attended Monday's meeting, said he was aware he had to correct the electrical and sanitary conditions and follow the agreement for special events.

Jazzed up

Bradley's Jazz Club must meet the following conditions by July 1 before the village will issue its licenses:

• Address electrical violations reported in November 2008

• Remove mouse droppings and sanitize the area where the droppings were found

• Implement a pest control plan