The city of Gainesville shut down Grog House, a popular bar frequented by students 18 and older, after the floor was determined to be unstable and in danger of collapsing Wednesday.
The shutdown came after the city received a complaint from its myGNV app, an app created by the city where residents can pay bills and see bus routes, city spokesperson Shelby Taylor said. The complaint referenced the floor’s structural integrity, which was investigated by a code enforcement officer, who determined further inspection was needed before the bar could allow people back in, she said.
Grog House is often filled with students dancing on the floor located right above Balls, the bar’s downstairs neighbor. The possibility of the floor caving in puts Balls in danger of being pounded by rubble.
Before it opens again, the owners must hire a company to assess the floor’s integrity and implement repairs if needed, Taylor said.
The decision comes one month after the collapse of a condominium in Surfside. As of July 14, 97 victims have been recovered from the remains.
The Surfside incident did not influence stricter guidelines that led to the closure, Taylor said.
“This isn't specifically related to the Surfside building collapse,” Taylor said. “But certainly whenever incidents like that occur, the public is more hyper aware.”
Many on social media reacted in unique ways. Gainesville City Commissioner David Arreola sent a tweet about the closure, which prompted memes to pour in.
One commenter reminisced about the bar’s swaying floor during their college days 20 years ago.
Other comments made fun of the bar underneath.
“We don’t want crushed Balls,” one comment read.
“That would be an improvement to Balls,” said another.
In the end, it was not happy hour for those hoping to go to the bar anytime soon.
Contact Alexander Lugo at alugo@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @AlexLugo67.
Alex is a fourth-year journalism student at UF and is in his third semester at The Alligator where he is serving as the university editor. He previously reported on university administration and the city and county commission. In his free time, he enjoys video games, traveling and being outdoors.
