Eviction withdrawn at Commodore Perry

1/9/2003

The owner of several floors of the Commodore Perry Apartments yesterday backed off its eviction proceedings — at least partially — against its biggest tenant.

The Jungle, formerly known as Banana Joe's, and Tabu, are first floor tenants of the 17-story downtown structure. Owned by a group based in Dublin, Ohio, they were behind $19,784.86 in rent and utilities, according to a case in Toledo Municipal Court against them by Smallridge Co.

During a brief hearing yesterday, Smallridge attorney Douglas Wilkins asked Magistrate Susan Hartman Muska to dismiss the request for an eviction order against the two lounges. However, a second part of the case, the demand for back rent and utilities, was continued until a Jan. 24 hearing.

Oliver Hirt, who is president of Smallridge, said the club recently closed and he was not sure when, or if, it might reopen. He declined further comment, saying only “we're trying to work things out.”

Smallridge owns several floors of the former hotel, 505 Jefferson Ave., which the city helped develop in the late 1990s.