Mixerr Reviews: History behind Civic Park Bar in Flint, Michigan explored.

Civic Park Bar is one of the most forgotten beer taverns of Flint, Michigan. Not too much history or information about this beer tavern can be found online or offline. The news article will attempt to cover the history of Civic Park Bar in the best way possible.

Civic Park Bar was located at the infamous most dangerous street corner of Dayton Street & Dupont Street in the King neighborhood of Flint, Michigan. Civic Park Bar was a beer tavern and tavern.

Flint, Michigan is no stranger to beer taverns and bar taverns such as Civic Park Bar, Civic Park Tavern, Civic Park Cocktail Lounge, Civic Park Lounge, Cheezy Ice Cream, D'S CP BAR, and Da Spot once occupied Dupont Street. So that is no surprise.

According to the Genesee County Clerk/Register internet database, Civic Park Bar occupied the same location as Civic Park Cocktail Lounge and Da Spot once occupied which was 2409 Dupont Street. These businesses used the 2409 Dupont Street location as their headquarters. John H White owned the Civic Park Bar. (Ref: Genesee County Clerk/Register internet database)

Civic Park Bar was the place to be. The staff was family oriented and people had fun together. Civic Park was rocking back in the days. Many people remember hanging out and drinking at the Civic Park Bar. People would go to the Civic Park Bar and listen to some real R&B/Soul such as Staci Lattisaw and Shanice.

But by the mid-1980s, specifically 1985, the Civic Park neighborhood was plagued with crime. Burglaries were commonplace and considered the norm. Burglers used to break in and "leave" things at Civic Park Bar. The Civic Park Bar was constantly burglarized.

John H White sold the bar property to Lionel Sylvester on the date of May 18, 2001. Part of which included the property at 2411 Dupont Street. John H White shut down Civic Park Bar some time around the middle of 2002. Civic Park Bar would become a nightclub called Da Spot which was owned and operated by Lionel Sylvester from 2003 to 2008. Lionel Sylvester was the DJ at Da Spot. (Ref: https://geneseecountymi-web.tylerhost.net/web/document/DOCC10390943?search=DOCSEARCH244S1)

Da Spot was often scrutinized by the Flint Journal and city officials during their early years in the early part of the 2000s. (Ref: Flint Journal, Teen clubgoers' safety at issue, Night spot owners dispute Flint officials' claims, August 23, 2003)

However the Da Spot was shut down for a short period of time in 2003. Flint city officials claimed safety was an issue at Da Spot due to the narrow confined spaces between furniture and the dance floor along with other city ordinances that were supposedly violated. City building inspector Mike Reiter labeled Da Spot as a "fire trap waiting to happen" and a called Da Spot a "danger spot". (Ref: Flint Journal, Teen clubgoers' safety at issue, Night spot owners dispute Flint officials' claims, August 23, 2003)

According to an editorial in the Flint Journal, Da Spot got raided on August 19, 2003 after several noise complaints were filed against Lionel Sylvester for excessive loud noise. Fire hazards and an open liquor cabinet were among the findings in the raid. (Ref: Flint Journal, September 2, 2003)

Flint needs safe spots where teens can have fun, FLINT JOURNAL EDITORIAL

    It sounds as if Da Spot might more accurately have been called "danger spot" for the teenagers who packed it and for other living creatures. But an Aug. 19 raid that found 200 kids in the Dupont Street "nightclub" also teaches how sorely this community needs safe places for kids to gather for fun. Da Spot was filling a reasonable need, even if poorly, by holding weekly dances. Fire hazards and an open liquor cabinet were among the findings in the raid.

Promoter Ray "Big Cheese" Furlow pulled the plug on Friday teen dances at Da Spot on August 29, 2003. Promoter Ray "Big Cheese" Furlow would use Da Spot the spot for teen dances because he just wanted to give kids a safe place to go at night. (Ref: Flint Journal, Teens out at Da Spot, August 29, 2003)

Teens out at Da Spot

    Da Spot won't be the spot for teen dances anymore. Promoter Ray "Big Cheese" Furlow said he will pull the plug on Friday teen dances at Da Spot nightclub, 2409 Dupont St., after mounting criticism from police and city Councilwoman Carolyn Sims. "Shame on them," said Furlow, who said he just wanted to give kids a safe place to go at night. Police raided the club Aug. 19 after nuisance complaints and found about 200 kids there, some as young as 11. City rules...

Many Flint residents expressed that the community needs safe places for children to gather for fun. So there was outrage over the raid of Da Spot. (Ref: Flint Journal, September 2, 2003)

Flint needs safe spots where teens can have fun

    It sounds as if Da Spot might more accurately have been called "danger spot" for the teenagers who packed it and for other living creatures. But an Aug. 19 raid that found 200 kids in the Dupont Street "nightclub" also teaches how sorely this community needs safe places for kids to gather for fun. Da Spot was filling a reasonable need, even if poorly, by holding weekly dances. Fire hazards and an open liquor cabinet were among the findings in the raid.

However Friday teen dances at Da Spot continued in 2005 as Da Spot resolved with the city and corrected their code violations. Da Spot had received legal assumed name certificates from the Genesee County clerk's office and Da Spot would continue to operate after 2005. (Ref: Flint Journal, NEW BUSINESSES, July 17, 2005)

Interestingly enough, Lionel Sylvester sold the bar property back to John H White in 2006 for the price of $7,286.82. This included the property at 2411 Dupont Street. (Ref: https://geneseecountymi-web.tylerhost.net/web/document/DOCC11045079?search=DOCSEARCH244S1)

Sadly Civic Park Bar burned down in 2008 in an arson incident. The building was set on fire at night. In many of the arson cases in Flint, nobody had seen or heard anything. This case of arson was not unusual. Now this arson case was never solved. Nobody had seen anything or heard anything.

Civic Park Bar was demolished by Genesee County Land Bank in July 2009. Nothing remained of Civic Park Bar and surrounding businesses by the fall of 2009. Genesee County Land Bank currently owns the Civic Park Bar property. (Ref: http://www.thelandbank.org/downloads/Articles/LBA-Newsletter-Fall-2009.pdf)