(Associated Press/RockAndMetal.com) (12/05/03)

Edited By Michael Bennett

NEW YORK - A Manhattan judge has ordered the eviction of the BOTTOM LINE nightclub from the Greenwich Village space it has occupied for the past 30 years.

Civil Court Judge Donna Recant found that the club, which had no lease and admittedly owed more than $190,000 in back rent, must relinquish it's space to it's landlord, New York University.

The judge stayed the eviction for five days.

The music mecca's lawyer, Mark Alonso, said Wednesday that he expected the ruling.

"But the thing that's the most galling to me is that NYU was saying they weren't suing for eviction," Alonso said. "They just didn't want us there."

He hinted that the club could reopen at another site.

"What makes the Bottom Line is not the building," he said. "It's the people who run it."

In June, the club faced eviction after falling behind 17 months in rent.

But attorneys for the club and NYU agreed to postpone eviction proceedings with an eye to signing a new lease.

The nightclub was operating by month-to-month agreement.

NYU spokesman John Beckman said the University was pleased that the judge had ruled in it's favor but saddened that the Bottom Line would close.

"We take no pleasure at being at this juncture with the Bottom Line," he said in a statement.

"NYU does not want to see the Bottom Line close, and we never wanted to go to court."

He added, however, that "it is simply not right to have a not-for-profit educational institution subsidizing a for-profit entertainment business."

Under a recent temporary agreement, satellite radio network Sirius posted $185,000 in escrow to cover the debt in the event a new lease was reached.

In light of Recant's decision, the money will be returned to Sirius.

Recant's five-page ruling, made public Wednesday, said that "irrespective of the unfortunate impact this decision is likely to have, not only on the parties in this action but on the entire community, this court finds, in fact and in law, for the petitioner (NYU)."

The Bottom Line hosted many legendary music nights over it's three decades, with performers from rocker Bruce Springsteen to jazz trumpeter Miles Davis playing the intimate room.

Reports of the club's possible closing prompted an outpouring of support from it's thousands of patrons and performers including Springsteen, singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb and Tony Award winner Marc Shaiman.

UPDATE FROM THE BOTTOM LINE'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

Today is a dark day for the arts in the City of New York.

Despite the protests of artists and citizens throughout the world, the court has granted New York University's demand for the eviction of The Bottom Line.

As a result of NYU's action, the music that has played for nearly 30 years at 15 West 4th Street will soon be silenced.

Since June, we have presented New York University with numerous proposals in the hopes that this day would never come.

As recent as two weeks ago we sent a counterproposal to the onerous terms which NYU submitted to us; alas, they never had the courtesy to respond.

Indeed, just last week the judge offered to mediate a resolution between NYU and The Bottom Line.

Sadly each and every one of these solutions has either been ignored or rejected by NYU.

Over the last month many concerned private and corporate citizens including: Sirius Satellite Radio, Bruce Springsteen, Mel Karmazin, Richard Wissack and AT&T have all offered financial commitments to help demonstrate to NYU that they were the custodians of something much more valuable than a piece of "undervalued real estate."

In fact, in a cultural and historic sense this piece of real estate might be the most valuable property in their portfolio.

Even in this 11th hour, when the court has already ruled, we are still calling upon John Sexton, the President of NYU to use his good offices to help bring about a more reasonable solution to this situation.

Not to act means everyone loses.

We believe his silence will reverberate far into the future, as would his leadership - if he chooses to act.

His silence will be considered when future students choose what university they wish to attend, because what school you choose says much about who you are.

His silence will be remembered by alumni, when they are deciding about contributing to their alma mater.

It will be remembered by the people of New York City who will remember that NYU is more interested in swallowing their neighbors than preserving their neighborhood's quality of life.

And Mr.Sexton's silence will be considered by that "next Einstein" the University so hopes to attract, because he or she will know that as much of an elite University education takes place outside the classroom as within it.

After all, it was the first Einstein who said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

Our hope is that in the time we have left a concerned member of this community, city, state or nation who may have influence far beyond ours will be able to persuade NYU to reevaluate their position so that they realize that the university will be diminished by eliminating one of the most important classrooms on their campus.

Any other university in this country cannot match this classroom where art, culture and history are taught by a distinguished faculty past and present, including the following Professors:

Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, Bill Monroe, Count Basie, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Bill Evans, Richard Price, Aaron Copland, Tony Bennett, Ringo Starr, Emmylou Harris, June Carter Cash, Patti Smith, George Jones, Doc Watson, Lou Reed, Kris Kristofferson, Alan Ginsberg, Joan Baez, Ravi Shankar, Jerry Garcia and Dizzy Gillespie.

As for The Bottom Line, if NYU does not grant us some type of reprieve (which only they can do) we will be able to present live music only until the Marshall silences us by executing New York University's warrant of eviction.

Copyright 2003-2010 The Associated Press/Internet Music Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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