CLUB MANSION TO RE-OPEN THURSDAY....SORT OF

After being shut down for repeated problems inside the club, the mansion will reopen Thursday as "Club Entourage". The press release from the Department of Consumer Protection is below and outlines the changes that will be made before opening:

Suspension To Be Lifted On Closed Hartford Nightclub

Entourage will Replace The Mansion


HARTFORD, September 11th -- The Department of Consumer Protection and the owners of The Mansion, a Hartford night club, met several times over the summer months to address the safety and security of the club following a shooting on the dance floor of the club earlier this summer. A signed written agreement issued today by Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr., which outlines public safety improvements, led to the lifting of the summary suspension of its liquor permit. The lifting of the suspension will be effective September 17, 2009. With their signature, the operators of the former Mansion nightclub agree to numerous terms and conditions including the following:



The name of the club will be changed to Entourage; the club will feature a Top 40 theme and will enter into a partnership with radio station KISS 95.7 fm.


For the first four weeks that Entourage is open, the club operators will pay for overtime hiring of two (2) Hartford Police officers at all times that the business is open. After four weeks, the issue will be reviewed by the Hartford Chief of Police to continue, modify or end the added police detail.


A dress code for entrance will be enforced, barring loose clothing, any clothing with gang insignias, and other clothing considered inappropriate by the security staff in light of the new theme.


Wide-angle surveillance cameras will be maintained throughout the premises, sending images to a digital video recorder with extended memory. Both entrances will be well-lit.


The entrance located at 191 Ann Street shall be open only to persons twenty-one (21) years of age or older; when juice bar events are held, patrons 18 years of age or older will use the entrance located at 183 Ann Street, and the club will take measures to ensure that underage patrons do not walk through or remain in an area where alcohol is served.


Specially trained and identifiable security personnel will be posted at both entrances during all times the club is open. All current and prospective club employees will undergo criminal background checks.


All club employees, promoters, consultants, and managers will cooperate with local police and fire officials regarding any lawful request or demand, and any non-cooperation will result in that person’s immediate termination and barring from the club.



The club’s liquor permit was suspended on June 12, 2009 following a review of Hartford Police reports detailing a shooting on the dance floor of the club a few nights earlier. Since the suspension, the Department of Consumer Protection, the Hartford Police Department, and the Hartford Fire Marshal’s Office have been meeting with the owners and permittee of The Mansion on a regular basis, developing a security enhancement plan designed to better protect the patrons and employees of the club, as well as provide increased safety and security for the neighborhood.



“I am grateful for the valuable input and advice we received from both the Hartford Police and Fire Marshal’s Office, together with the willingness of the owners of The Mansion, in crafting this agreement which leads me to lift the suspension,” Farrell said. “However, actions speak louder than words, and we will ensure that the terms of the agreement are followed.”



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