DETROIT (WXYZ) — Neighbors on Detroit's east side say they are surprised and upset to see a "coming soon" sign on the front of Covergirls strip club, a business they say shut down years ago.
Tez Ashford, who lives in the area, said he is not pleased about the news.
"No, not happy. Not happy," Ashford said.
According to city records, the club has a troubled history. In 2017 and 2019, the Detroit Police Department was called for multiple crimes including car thefts, battery and assaults.
For Ashford, the reopening brings back painful memories tied directly to the club.
"I think I might have been 8 or 9 years old when my cousin passed. He got murdered at Covergirls. I remember it like it was yesterday, for real for real," Ashford said.
The trauma, he said, extends beyond his own family.
"We still think about that every day. The same way I'm sure everybody on this side of town thinks about something that happened at Covergirls too," Ashford said.
Alonzo Bell, a pastor at Martin Evers MBC, a nearby church, echoed those concerns.
"There was violence, there was theft, there was prostitution going. Matter of fact, the musician at my church, his cousin was shot over here," Bell said.
Bell has been working to uplift the area and says the community deserves better.
"We wanna attract positive businesses that are gonna uplift the area, nothing that's gonna tear things down," Bell said.
Bell and other community leaders protested outside the business last week.
"We're all working together to uplift this area that has been neglected for so long," Bell said.
Detroit Council Member Latisha Johnson says Covergirls was able to move forward with its reopening because the adult business was legally established decades ago and no public hearing was required.
Attorney Cyril Hall, who represents the strip club's owner, says his client secured all necessary licenses and permits to open.
"Hopefully, he's able to make a profit at what he's trying to do. He took the calculated risk to try to open up a business that was previously in business," Hall said.
Hall says the owner is committed to being a responsible neighbor.
"Well, one of the things that you need to know that this property and business is not going to be a nuisance. They wanna be good corporate citizens," Hall said.
The owner's attorney says the club is expected to open within the next 30 days.
"He's not trying to cause no harm to the citizens over there. He's concerned about that," Hall said.
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