Bar closes six months after opening at site of Stourbridge Chicago's murder
A bar which opened on the site of a former nightclub where a popular footballer was killed has closed after just six months.
Unit 3, at Stourbridge's Ryemarket, has gone on sale after the closure of Soda Lounge.
The site used to be Chicago's nightclub, where Ryan Passey, 24, was stabbed to death in August 2017.
Soda Lounge opened there as a bar in November, following the closure of Chicago's in February 2018, but now the venue is on the market as a leasehold property.
A spokesman for the Ryemarket shopping centre, where the unit is housed, confirmed the closure of Soda Lounge.
An advert carried by James A Baker, which is selling the building, says the premises offers retail opportunities.
Ryan's family wants to see the site turned into a community hub
Jason Connon, spokesman for the Justice For Ryan campaign, said: "I think this place will always be remembered for where Ryan lost his life.
"I know the feeling of the community. Ryan's friends stayed away from the new bar [Soda Lounge]. I think that will always be the case going forward.
"We would like to see the building used in a way that benefits the community, like a community hub, rather than there just being a bar in Stourbridge."
He continued: "The previous owners [Soda Lounge] contacted us prior to opening. We made our concerns at the time about it being another club or bar, although they agreed not to have a dance floor, and they said they would ensure the strictest security checks would be in place."
Campaigning
Since Ryan's death, his family have been campaigning for a change in law, which would allow families to appeal acquittal verdicts in serious crime cases.
Kobe Murray was found not guilty of Ryan's murder and manslaughter following a two-week trial in February 2018.
Mr Murray told the trial, at Birmingham Crown Court, that he had a knife in his hand and "pushed out" to fend off an attack – accidentally stabbing Mr Passey. He also said the knife had belonged to a friend.
A petition by the Justice For Ryan organisation, calling for changes to the UK's law, has reached almost 50,000 signatures.
Chicago's closed in late February 2018 after more than 3,500 people signed a petition calling for it to shut down.
Weeks earlier, it was reported that the nightclub had been attacked by a group of masked men. Broken windows were seen boarded up.
Bosses of Chicago's blamed the closure on a campaign against the nightclub following Ryan's death.
