Could Zelda’s nightclub reopen?

A downtown Palm Springs fixture for after-hours and nighttime entertainment could reopen.

The city will hold a hearing May 22 to consider a new request by Zeldas to operate in the Sun Center.

The Palm Springs City Council voted to closed Zeldas for at least 45 days on March 20. The next month the property at 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive was listed for sale.

Zeldas could have reapplied for a new conditional use permit, but nightclub management announced via Facebook one week later, that it would permanently close.

“I know we went through this once before, and I’m very surprised that they are thinking about reopening,” said Mayor Robert Moon on Friday. “But I’m always open to listening to any request from a business to the city, but personally I’m not a fan and I’m somewhat skeptical.”

An incident at Zeldas on Jan. 20 resulted in a shooting that left a 21-year-old dead and a 14-year-old hospitalized.

“So it’s not been a good environment in the past,” said Moon, “and (Zelda’s would) have to make some extraordinary efforts to get my confidence to open again.”

A 235 page staff report was submitted by the Department of Planning Services to be considered at Wednesday’s hearing about Zeldas request “to consider revocation or modification of a conditional use permit.”

The staff report recommends a public hearing be held to receive testimony about why Zeldas should or should not be granted another conditional use permit.

The report also outlines a new security plan prepared by the Police Department which Zeldas would be required “to sign and implement.”

Among the suggestions:

Daily verification that the video surveillance system is functional with immediate closure of the business in the event of a a non-oeprational system. Advanced notification to police of a special event in which crowds or long lines are expected in front of the building Added security Ensuring communication is available to police and fire at all time

“A lot of our police officers have been involved with this– thousands of hours of police time, police officers have been injured and my concern is for the public safety, and of course for the safety of our police officers,” added Moon, who said he had not read the entire staff report yet.

Moon said enforcement of any new guidelines would have to be strictly enforced if Zeldas was to gain another conditional use permit.

“Because they’ve made promises in the past and there was always an excuse for not being able to meet those requirements,” said Moon.