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Sugars Building Remains Vacant, LEO not pleased
When Sugar’s Exotic Dancers closed in December 2006 after a prostitution bust, nearby business owners and residents who fought to get it shut down hoped it would be a first step in cleaning up illegal activity in that part of downtown Davenport.
Nearly two years later, however, concerns about illegal activity in the former Sugar’s building and in another vacant business at 4th and Myrtle streets have frustrated those working to clean up the neighborhood’s image.
The old Sugar’s building, 1037 W. 3rd St., is under close scrutiny from the city’s nuisance abatement attorney, and the building at 1101 W. 4th St. is the focus of an ongoing investigation as an alleged “after-hours” club that may be selling alcohol illegally.
Although police and the city’s legal staff are aware of the issues, they aren’t moving fast enough for some of the business owners and residents.
In an e-mail to Davenport Corporate Counsel Tom Warner, Shelley Sheehy — an activist with the West Central Business District organization — complained about the pace of the investigations.
“Two weeks ago, I was unable to cross 3rd Street on Myrtle on my way to the post office as it was blocked with people and cars,” she wrote. “It was clear that the business at the former Sugar’s was open and people were going in and out of it and the people blocking the street were associated with it. I have heard many complaints about it since. Now we have learned that the property on the west side of Myrtle at the corner of 4th is an ‘after-hours’ club.
“As you can imagine, it is more than frustrating that as a neighborhood we have to be vigilant at every turn that some other criminal business isn’t expanding or moving into our area.”
Sheehy’s concerns were shared by several other nearby business owners who did not wish to give their names because of fear of retaliation. They said loud parties, people in the street at all hours of the night and other suspicious activity have been frequent at both locations.
Davenport Police Capt. Kevin Murphy confirmed that 1101 W. 4th St. is being investigated. According to police and records from the Scott County Assessor’s Office, the building is owned by Robert B. Long and is being leased to Cosby Gibson, who goes by the nickname “Dog Man.”
Neither Long nor Gibson could be contacted Friday.
Gibson was convicted in 2003 of operating a gaming house at 401 Marquette St. when that building housed the West End Social Club. That building is one block west of 1101 W. 4th St. Gibson was also arrested and charged with bootlegging in 2004, according to court records, but those charges were dismissed.
“We are in the process of investigating the complaint,” Murphy said. “We’re trying to stay on top of it. We have to work through the law. No one ever said the law was swift. We work within the confines presented to us by legislators, and we’re doing the best we can.”
Meanwhile, Angela Foht, the city’s nuisance abatement attorney, is trying to stay on top of the situation at the former Sugar’s.
When the building was an “erotic dance” club, it was owned by Dale Labath. Labath also owned the building when it was raided by Quad-City Metropolitan Enforcement Group agents and a crack cocaine operation was taken down in July.
Labath was ordered to submit a nuisance abatement plan with Foht on Oct. 10, which he did. The plan stipulates that there be no illegal or illegitimate business activity operating on the property and that any new merchants or lessees undergo a background check by the police department.
“My concern is, I don’t want the crime, I don’t want drug dealers using that property,” Foht said. “That is my responsibility to address. I investigate any complaint that comes to my attention.”
Tory Brecht can be contacted at (563) 383-2329 or [email]tbrecht@qctimes.com[/email].
Police have busted one empty storefront before
*Two empty storefronts, one on Davenport’s West 4th Street and one on West 3rd Street, are drawing negative attention from area business owners and residents.
The former Sugar’s Exotic Dancers at 1037 W. 3rd St. has been the scene of two busts — one for prostitution and one for drugs — while owned by Dale Labath. Labath is currently planning to open a third business, specializing in rims and specialty auto parts in the building, according to the city’s Community Services Division personnel.
A building at 1101 W. 4th St., that formerly housed a business called Thinkers Press is under investigation for housing illegal after-hours parties.
The following background on the two buildings was compiled from court filings and interviews with police, city legal staff and neighboring business owners:
1037 E. 3rd St.
The building owned by Dale Labath is the former home of Sugar’s Exotic Dancers, which was shut down by the city in December 2006 after a prostitution bust.
Earlier this summer, Labath, who could not be reached for comment, leased the building to Richard L. Hoskins. Reportedly, the business Hoskins was running sold “hip hop” clothing and accessories.
According to information in search warrant documents compiled by the Quad-City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, the hip hop store did not sell any clothing or contain clothing racks. Quad-City MEG agents, acting on information from an anonymous source, conducted a raid on the building on June 26, and agents found evidence that Hoskins and Wallace Earl Ross, who also lived in the building, were selling crack and powder cocaine from the premises.
After that drug bust, Labath was served with a nuisance abatement and ordered to file a plan with the city’s Community Services Division by Oct. 10. He complied, and under the terms of the plan, he has agreed that future merchants or people inhabiting the building will be subject to criminal background checks by police.
1101 W. 4th St.
According to records from the Scott County Assessor’s Office and the Iowa Secretary of State’s office, the building is owned by Robert B. Long. Police and neighboring business owners confirmed that Long is leasing the building to Cosby Gibson, who was formerly associated with the nearby West End Social Club at 401 Marquette St.
According to trial information from an August 2003 case, Gibson was convicted of keeping a gambling house while working at the West End Social Club. In addition, Gibson was charged in 2004 with bootlegging, but that charge was dismissed.
Neither Gibson nor Long could be reached for comment.
Plenty of action still wondering around
Haven't done anything for awhile, but there is plenty walking around down there. Behind the Chicken Shack is a white two story across the alley. It is a crack house and there have been some real cuties standing by the door. I recommend checking it out early in the 8am-9am range, that is when I see the most activity.
I haven't been very interested lately. The economy sucks and I feel guilty spending the money on the hobby. But I sure love to look on the way to my P. O. Box on 3rd.