Neighbours eye crime shift from Cecil bar closure

The closing of the tavern at the Cecil Hotel has some nearby residents worried that the criminal activity associated with the bar will migrate into their neighbourhood.

"A lot of vagrants have been loitering along the Edmonton Trail/First Avenue corridor," said Jeff Keet, who sits on the board of directors of the Bridgeland Riverside Community Association.

He said residents are concerned about a dramatic increase in vandalism and break-ins.

"We're not locking the individuals up, we're just closing their hangout so they will need to look for new areas to hang out and conduct their business," said Keet, who called on the police and mayor's office to set up a strategy so the negative elements from the Cecil don't move into Bridgeland.

The city pulled the tavern's business licence this week after Calgary police successfully argued that the establishment was a public safety and welfare risk, with regular arrests for illegal drugs, prostitution and other crime.The hotel portion remains open.

Police said they responded to about 1,700 calls to the hotel last year.

Sgt. David McMath said year-to-date statistics for Bridgeland show a decrease in break-ins, while street robberies have increased from 19 to 30 so far this year.

Meanwhile, businesses in the immediate area around the Cecil are looking forward to fewer problems.

"We've had to escort our customers over to the Cecil because they're parking there now to bring their dogs back to us, and they're just too afraid to walk the parking lot by themselves," said Janet Saretsky from DogCity Daycare.

Bookers BBQ Grill and Crab Shack, across the street from the Cecil, believes business could improve.

"We've never had any problems with the Cecil, and with the patrons at the Cecil, but it is a nice change for us, I think, to clean up the area a little bit more," said Sarah Francis, vice-president of marketing and operations at Vintage Group, which owns the restaurant.

Revitalization continues in area

Two new condominium towers in the area are slated to be completed this summer, as plans to revitalize the East Village neighbourhood into a thriving family-oriented community go ahead.

"There's nothing really wrong with the building but the activity that was associated with the tavern there, it just really was a blight on the entire city, not just East Village," said Chris Ollenberger from Calgary Municipal Land Development.

"It would have been an obstacle that we would have had to overcome within our marketing program and our explanations of the community, so to not have that kind of activity going forward is great."

Dave King, a musician who often played at the Cecil, said he'll miss the camaraderie but not the problems.

"Trying to get into the bar past all the drug dealers and stuff was annoying," he said.

Louise Gallagher of the Calgary Drop-In Centre said drug dealers often targeted clients of the nearby homeless shelter, so the Cecil bar's closure could keep temptations away.

However, some social workers say it will be tougher to keep tabs on a lot of their clients.

"It's a place where we can meet people kind of where they're at, you know, offer them some services and hopefully offer them some help to kind of change that lifestyle," Adam Melnyk of the Calgary Urban Project Society.