NORFOLK, Va. — It’s a goal within reach under the right conditions: a safer nightlife environment for the Downtown district of Norfolk.
“It’s one of the only places around with a true downtown,” Baxter Simmons said.
Since 2005, Baxter’s Sports Lounge has greeted passers-by at the corner of Granby and Bute streets, at the top of the street’s downtown corridor.
Now Simmons -- owner of the longtime operated bar -- has a chance to guide a path forward for the rest of the downtown area.
“There is a definite disconnect between operations and the city government itself based on the last year and a half. I think this will create some of those relationships and bonds, and feel comfortable working together,” he said.
Simmons is one of three business owners who met Friday with the Downtown Norfolk Council to discuss the rollout of a test phase of a new accreditation program titled “Safe Night.” The program, already implanted in other municipalities, is a process that works to improve, upgrade and streamline safety requirements for city bars and restaurants.
Simmons noted that the process in this potential accreditation process is similar to the work restaurants already complete to operate, but that it would be a proactive way to demonstrate the investment into public safety.
“Sort of like an extra notification you can put something on your door or window and say, 'We’ve gone through the Safe Night program' or whatever it will be called, and show you’ve made that commitment to safety,” he said.
The other businesses involved in this test period are the Brothers Steakhouse located downtown, and Legacy Restaurant and Lounge.
Legacy, currently operating as a restaurant with no alcohol, is still dealing with the fallout of having its conditional use permit revoked by the city council after a quadruple shooting outside its doors last year.
The testing of this new accreditation program comes after months of calls to clean up the city’s downtown district following several violent incidents, and according to Simmons, it could eventually be something available to every restaurant looking to serve alcohol in the city.
“A lot of requirements on the restaurants, but this is meant to be an educational tool," he stated.
The Downtown Norfolk Council tells 13News Now the drafts of this accreditation model are “unavailable” at this time, as they are still being drafted.