DENVER — The Triangle Bar is closing effective immediately, citing "ever-expanding encampments which have surrounded and suffocated the businesses in our neighbourhood."
The LGBTQ+ bar on Broadway near Stout Street near downtown Denver made the announcement Thursday.
"And it is heartbreaking," said Jarred McClain, manager at The Triangle Bar. "This one hurts quite a bit."
McClain said they're closing due to a dramatic drop in customers that have stopped coming in large part due to the homeless community camping just outside their doors. They even asked visitors about it.
"From the more than 500 of you who responded to our survey...we confirmed that 75% of you are visiting us less frequently with over 60% citing safety concerns due to the encampments," the bar said in an email to patrons.
"And we've been surrounded on four sides by homeless encampments and crime and filth. And the problems that persist with those embedded encampments came to affect us and the guests that wanted to come here," McClain said.
Those problems aren't just staying outside their building. Walking around the outside patio of Triangle, McClain pointed out the numerous areas that have dealt with challenges related to the unhoused populations.
"We put those metal grates up on these two sets of windows because we had people coming in over our original chain link fence and then breaking out the windows, reaching in and stealing the liquor off the shelves because the bar is right there," McClain said.
Pointing toward the outdoor seating area, he highlighted additional problems.
"You'll find foils and what's left of their fentanyl over here, it's unfortunate. They'll try and spark off of our plugs or use our gas," he said. "We have a gas line that keeps people warm out here and they’ll open that valve up. Sometimes I’ll walk out and smell gas because they’re trying to mess around with the heaters and it’s like you could have blown us up."
Over the months, McClain said they haven't been able to catch a break.
"Recently, we had some relief. The camps were cleared and within 24 hours we had people coming back. Within a week of that, there was a shooting in the same area just over here by the youth outreach center. So it's discouraging when efforts are being made, you see some progress and you take two steps back where you had one forward," McClain said.
Unable to continue, Triangle has now closed its doors. A decision that's been tough for customers and for staff.
"Bartenders don't take any mess off anybody and then to see them with tears and their eyes upset, like oh," he said.
The loss is being felt around downtown and throughout the LGBTQ community.
"But in the previous decades, during the 80s in the HIV epidemic, there was a number of our community members that passed away from the disease. And when families and mortuaries wouldn't take their remains, they came to us and we have ashes interred here," McClain said. “And that’s something that really strikes at my heart too that potentially if this is redeveloped or changed to somebody else’s vision of what this corner should be other than what our community wants it to be, that could be lost. And now, that will only exist in our memories."
McClain said with other neighboring businesses hurting from the same problems, he worries Triangle's closure could have a ripple effect. Instead, he hopes it sparks a positive change.
"I would hope that the city at large would look at that and try to come up with solutions that are more tenable and permanent rather than band-aids," McClain said.
Now, he said he and the staff are preparing to welcome the community back to Triangle on Sunday one final time.
“We’re looking forward to another successful event. We’re going to see a lot of our community, I’m sure. People are sad to hear that we’re going and as sad as it may be, there’s still some excitement to see a lot of our friends come in and give us one last good hurrah," McClain said. "And that’ll be the farewell for Triangle, at least for now."
Starting at noon, he said they're ready to welcome people in to celebrate, to come together and say goodbye to Triangle. But, McClain said he's still hoping they can find a way to keep Triangle's legacy alive down the road.
"We'll see what comes of it, this may not be the last you hear of the Triangle as a bar like this and I have hope for that. But this chapter is coming to a close," McClain said.
9NEWS asked Mayor Mike Johnston's office about Triangle's closing following issues with homeless encampments in the area. They replied with this statement:
"From day one, Mayor Johnston’s highest priority has been to bring 1,000 unsheltered residents indoors by the end of the year and to close the encampments where those folks had been living. Encampments are not only unsafe and unhealthy for the people living in them, but they also pose significant risks to housed residents and Denver’s businesses.
Operating under the authority of the Mayor’s state of emergency, multiple outreach, engagement and enforcement teams are on the streets addressing these challenges every day, operating with a greater sense of urgency than ever before in Denver’s history. Teams from the Mayor’s Office have engaged with business, including The Triangle bar, and attended a conversation with these businesses as hosted by Councilman Watson at Triangle Bar itself.
While we acknowledge the progress made so far, we also understand the urgency of the situation and are fully aware of the challenges we face in meeting our ambitious goal. As Mayor Johnston and his team continue to identify potential shelter locations, they will take community feedback from the town halls into consideration to deliver the best solution both for unhoused Denverites and for neighborhoods and businesses."
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