Board of Licenses orders Providence club to close after locking patrons inside

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Providence Board of Licenses is forcing Legacy Lounge to close its doors for good after patrons were locked inside afterhours.

Chairman of the board, Dylan Conley, confirmed to ABC 6 News the club had roughly 13 violations in the past four years. Police found the club locked with a party inside in the early hours of June 24.

“The first thing I thought about when I saw the exterior lock gates and the people inside is the Station Nightclub,” said Conley. “There were still people inside. There was a party inside after the hours of operating, and everyone inside had been locked inside by hurricane barriers that locked from the exterior. So, there was no way for any patrons to leave if something occurred.”

He added that “a small thing goes wrong, a small fire occurs, there is a panic or even an incident where someone has a weapon inside, how do you escape in that situation if the doors are locked?”

Mayor Brett Smiley applauded the Board of Licenses and Providence police.

“I applaud the board for making the right decision. They risked the lives of their patrons, and they continue to show blatant disregard for the actions of the board,” he explained.

Legal representatives from Legacy Lounge told ABC 6 Thursday they plan to appeal the decision.

Conley said no appeal has been filed.

“They shouldn’t hold a license,” he concluded.