In the wake of a number of violent incidents, including the stabbing of a UB student two weeks ago, the owners of the Sphere Entertainment Complex have announced they will be selling the popular downtown venue.
Michael Slyder, the chief financial officer of the Sphere, said he and his business partner, Joseph Guagliardo, both of whom also own Marcella's, have considered selling since as early as September.
The process has been accelerated, though, as a result of the negative press the Sphere has received in regards to a number of violent incidents that have occurred near the downtown club, Slyder said.
"This move is largely in response to the media's reaction to the random acts of violence that have occurred outside of our facility," Slyder said. "My partner and I are being unfairly blamed for these incidents and the best move, unfortunately, is for us to move and for this business to be turned over to someone else."
In the past three months, there has been a string of violent crimes right outside the Sphere. On Nov. 26, a man was shot in the leg while standing in front of the nightclub, and on New Year's six people were shot while standing outside the back entrance.
Most recently, Ahmad Zakari, a UB student, was stabbed in an altercation outside the club in the early morning of Jan. 29.
According to Detective Sgt. Tom Donovan of the Buffalo police, two cars were parked next to each other on Washington Street behind the Sphere. Zakari's friend, whose name was unavailable, asked the driver of the other car to move and was subsequently attacked. When Zakari tried to intervene, he was stabbed.
Slyder said the wave of violence has caused the Sphere to lose revenue and has raised questions as to who is responsible for these incidents. Some people, like Donovan, say the skirmishes near Sphere are not the club's fault.
"The Sphere isn't responsible for the stabbing that happened that night. They're responsible for what goes on inside and adjacent to their property, but you can't hold them responsible for this," Donovan said. "The violence that's happening around the Sphere is definitely result of the crowd that frequents the venue, not the venue itself."
Others, like Capt. Michael Manzella of the Buffalo Police's Central District, feel it is the Sphere's responsibility to protect its patrons from violence.
"The owner has always been cooperative with us, and we've always been able to work with him," Manzella said. "But you can't have shootings at the bar. If they don't straighten up, we'll be closing them down."
Manzella added the violence is partly due to a lapse in security.
"At one time, it was better run inside and out. Now, it seems to be slipping and (the owner) has run into problems," Manzella said. "There's always a possibility of any bar or club having a random act of violence. But these aren't random acts. They're starting to happen every weekend."
Slyder, however, said the Sphere employs adequate security.
"Violence happens anywhere, and we can't be blamed for this," Slyder said. "It's a bar business, you're going to have idiots. Why blame a business and hold them accountable and have a different standard for us than any other type of bar or business? What do you want me to do, drag people off the public sidewalks? I don't know how to prevent a lot of this violence."
Slyder also insisted it is the media's sensationalism, not the violence, that has led him and his partner to try to sell the business.
"We're just getting the crap kicked out of us by the media," Slyder said. "We do more than any other bar downtown to make sure that our facilities are safe. The bottom line is that the value of the business has been affected by the city's and various groups' need to point fingers at us and blame us for these random acts of violence."
Regardless of who is responsible, the Sphere has lost thousands in revenue as a result. According to Slyder, at least ten events that were in their planning stages have been cancelled in the wake of the New Year's shootings.
After running a DJ series with the Sphere for the first time last year, the Student Association has also decided to stop doing business there.
"In October I decided that I didn't want to do business with the Sphere on an SA level. In January, shortly after New Year's, I decided to extend that policy to the clubs, so no SA clubs or organizations can have parties there or do business with the Sphere," said SA President Anthony Burgio.
Burgio said the violence was not the primary reason for discontinuing SA's business with the Sphere, but it did factor into the decision.
"The Sphere in general is not a professionally run venue. We wouldn't want to have club events there period," Burgio said. "Not to say that these incidents couldn't happen anywhere else, but the propensity for violence is greater at the Sphere."
As a result, Burgio said there are currently no plans to continue the DJ series this semester. According to Slyder, there are three different groups who are looking to purchase the establishment, and Burgio said he would meet with the new owners once the facilities are sold.
"Whether we choose to hold events in those facilities will depend on the new owners' offer," Burgio said. "Right now, though, it's a liability for us to hold events in that venue."
