19 Bar, a beloved gay bar in Minnesota, is suing the trash hauling and recycling company, the owner of which says caused a fire that jeopardized the building’s sale.
The incident that caused the bar to catch fire began after a garbage truck owned by Lakeshore Recycling Systems backed into a telephone pole, which fell on a gas line to the building and electrified it.
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The owner of 19 Bar, Gary Lee Hallberg, sued in Hennepin County District Court on Monday. He said that a week before the incident, he had entered into a contract to sell the bar and its assets for $1.4 million with the bar’s long-term manager. The property before the fire was worth $2.8 million dollars.
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However, according to the lawsuit, the fire led to the property being considered a total loss and the sale being canceled.
The bar is being rebuilt, with insurance covering about half of the bar’s repairs so far, such as mitigation and replacement of the floor, ceiling, steps, and roof.
Still, in an interview with The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Hallberg said, “It’s just ludicrous that all this has happened.”
19 Bar is seeking more than $2.8 million dollars in damages for the loss of the property’s market value, assets, displacement costs, labor expenses, lost investments, and legal fees. The lawsuit claims that Lakeshore Recycling Services (LRS) failed to exercise proper care while driving, damaging the property.
The complaint says that “To date, despite demand, LRS has failed and refused to compensate plaintiffs for their damages as a result of the fire.”
Hallberg has owned the bar since 1992. It was the first gay bar to open in Minneapolis and is one of the oldest continuously operated gay bars in the United States. Hallberg wants to reopen 19 Bar by New Year’s Eve and is excited about its future owner.
“He’s going to be great, and he’s been the manager for a long time, too,” Hallberg said.
