An underground nightclub located in a warehouse near Los Angeles International Airport was shut down about a week after the Dec. 2 fire at an Oakland warehouse that claimed 36 lives, it was reported Thursday.
The venue, Purple 33, was shut down after Los Angeles building inspectors discovered the nightclub and un-permitted living quarters, according to the Associated Press.
A representative of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety could not immediately be reached for comment.
The club has a website, Purple33.com, and says it hosts “private events in a quality-controlled environment.”
Numerous pictures on the website depict dance parties with large crowds, as well as some stage performers using fire.
Operator Donald Cassel, who lives at the building, was ordered to move out, the AP said, and claimed to have spent $70,000 on licensing and other fees to try to get the city to approve his club before going underground.
“I wanted to do everything legal. It takes a lot of money,” Cassel said.
–City News Service