Mar. 28—A Colorado Springs official ruled a bar on Platte Avenue can retain its liquor license after nine shootings in and around the business last year.

Colorado Springs Municipal Judge Matthew Ramirez, acting as the city's administrative hearing officer, ruled last week Paradise Nightclub and Restaurant could retain its license because it broke a pattern of violent activity in October as part of reopening with a new name under the same ownership. The bar was previously known as Babilonia Bar and Grill and that version of the business closed in August.

The bar "has rebranded its business model to attract different clientele and be a good neighbor. In doing so, Licensee's revenues have declined dramatically. The Hearing Officer recognizes and commends the Licensee's efforts," Ramirez wrote.

The ruling followed testimony by neighboring property owners, an adjacent business owner and a Colorado Springs city councilman during a hearing earlier this month about the violence and shootings from January through June last year.

A neighborhood association, Historic Knob Hill, filed the objection to the bar's liquor license in December and helped organize the testimony opposing the license renewal.

Bar owner Juliet Romero-Garcia said in her defense she spent significant time and money rebranding the bar and ended Friday hip-hop nights because the popular events that attracted hundreds of people tended to attract violence to her business.

"I was scared for my life," she said.

Will Cook, the nightclub's attorney, highlighted how the business cooperated with police by adding security cameras.

"The licensee is not denying there was a problem. We are denying there are continuing problems," he said.

The bar has not seen problems since it reopened in October, Colorado Springs police Sgt. Jeff Edmonds said during the hearing. He noted that there used to be a pattern of violence and he met with the bar's owner to work on deterring crime.

During the course of the hearing, witnesses reading from police records and media accounts highlighted each shooting. In one case, a security guard for the bar shot a 20-year-old man who threatened him with a handgun, KKTV reported.

Romero-Garcia said in one case bullets came through the bar.

7th Wave Carwash owner Craig Bridgmon witnessed the aftermath of a shooting when he pulled up to his business to find it blocked off with crime scene tape and a saw a victim getting loaded into an ambulance.

"There was blood and also blankets or people's clothes," said Bridgmon, who had to clean up the blood.

Months prior, in January 2022, a man under 21 broke into a home Bridgmon owns on the property of his carwash, he said.

Reading from a police report, Bridgmon said the man involved in the burglary confessed to underage drinking and had come from Babilonia.

Despite the evidence, Neighborhood Watch block captain Jacques Sears said he wasn't surprised the business was allowed to retain its liquor license.

"The businesses seem to have priority over the neighbors and the rest of us in town," said Sears, who testified against the bar.

However, Sears said he was concerned nine shootings and many other 911 calls to the police about the bar did not constitute a pattern of fights, violent activity or disorderly conduct that can result in the revocation of a liquor license under city code.

"What the hell has to happen over at that place for it to be considered a pattern of violence. ... Blood all over the neighborhood, bullets flying all over the neighborhood — that affects me," he said.

While the bar has not seen problems since October, he expected to see more crime over the summer when it is more comfortable to party outside.