Minneapolis' 19 Bar, closed due to fire, will not reopen on NYE as planned, owner says
MINNEAPOLIS — The owner of Minneapolis' 19 Bar says the historic bar will not be able to reopen on New Year's Eve as planned.
The gay bar located in the Loring Park neighborhood closed on March 23 after a garbage truck hit a power pole that landed on the building, sparking flames.
"Turns out construction, city codes, and inspections are way different then back in the good ole days where all you needed was some spit, a pack of cigarettes, and to be a friend of Dorothy," the owner wrote in a Facebook post.
The owner did not say when they now expect to open but did say they hope it will be soon.
In August, Gary Lee Hallberg, the longtime owner of the 19 Bar, sued Lakeshore Recycling Systems for $2.8 million. In the lawsuit, 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 sale was set to close on April 15, but the fire just weeks before caused the sale of the property and assets of the bar to be canceled, according to the lawsuit.
The 19 Bar opened in the 1950s and is the oldest gay bar in the state and one of the oldest still operating in the United States.
