Owner of 19 Bar, oldest LGBTQ bar in Minnesota, files lawsuit against trash company after devastating fire
MINNEAPOLIS — The owner of Minneapolis' historic 19 Bar, which was badly damaged after a recycling truck hit a power pole which started a fire, is seeking $2.8 million from the trash company.
The longtime owner of the LGBTQ+ bar, Gary Lee Hallberg, filed the suit in Hennepin County on Monday. In the suit, he says he entered into a contract with Jarvin, LLC on March 12, in which he agreed to sell the property for $1.46 million. At the time, the bar was valued at $2.8 million, the suit says.
The closing of the sale was slated for April 15.
On March 23, however, a truck owned by Lakeshore Recycling Systems drove into an electrical pole next to the building. The pole then crashed into the bar and sparked a fire.
The fire then caused the sale of the property and assets of the bar to be cancelled, the suit says. The building was deemed a total loss, the lawsuit said, and since then, Hallberg said he is incurring additional costs as a result of the fire.
Hallberg is seeking the $2.8 million from Lakeshore Recycling Systems for loss of market value, displacement and labor costs. The trucking company owed a duty of care to drive safely and not cause damage to property, the lawsuit says.
Lakeshore Recycling said in response that it "admits that an accident occurred involving a vehicle owned by Defendant" but "denies that the Property is or was a total loss and denies that all Assets were destroyed."
The 19 Bar was an anchor of the queer community in Minneapolis. It opened in the 1950s and was the oldest gay bar in the state, if not the region.
Note: The above video first aired on April 7, 2024.
