Louisville food hall issued violation for operating as emergency shelter without proper permit

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Louisville food hall that has been providing help and shelter to those in need during this week's winter weather was issued a violation notice to suspend operations.

As WDRB reported Wednesday, The StrEatery Food Hall on West Woodlawn Avenue in the Beechmont neighborhood has been open as a warm refuge for those in need, providing shelter, hot meals, drinks, socks, hats and gloves.

However, that help is on pause.

Thursday, the Louisville Fire Department issued The StrEatery a violation to "discontinue use as an overnight emergency shelter until additional permits/approvals can be obtained from Codes & Regulations," Donovan Sims, Louisville Fire Captain, said in a news release.

"It's disappointing," Amanda Mills, Southend Street Angels founder, said. "When you're a person with lived experience and you know how it feels to be invisible in a world full of people and then you have a whole community, a whole community come together."

Southend Street Angels partnered with The StrEatery to get donations and volunteers to help with the pop-up shelter. Mills said the Health Department had already come earlier in the week and had given them the all clear.

The building is "an A-2 Assembly use group," Sims said, and in order to operate as a temporary shelter, a change of occupancy permit is needed through Metro Codes & Regulations.

"If we're doing something wrong, teach us the right way," Mills said through tears. "Nobody did that. I've been doing this for 5 years, and nobody has ever said you need a permit for anything. We'll pay the money. If it's about money, we'll pay the money."

In the time it was open during the week, at least two people were brought to recovery.

The StrEatery can still serve as a warming center during normal business hours. But it puts people like Mark Jefferson and his wife back out on the street as temperatures get down into the teens and a second snow storm is on the way.

"They're shutting down half their place just to let us stay here and being kind to us and everything, and for them to have to take it away it's terrible," Jefferson said. "I don't know where we're gonna go or what we're gonna do yet."

Louisville Metro's Homeless Services team has been doing more outreach this week with the winter storm, and have transported 48 people to approved shelters, Sims said in the release.

Sims also explained why the business was cited by the fire department after the health department gave the all-clear.

"Health regulations are focused primarily on food safety & sanitation," Sims said in a written statement. "Fire and building codes establish minimum fire and life safety standards for construction and occupancy of buildings with an emphasis on safeguarding occupants."

As for what the owners could have done differently to avoid the issue, Sims said a proposal needs to be submitted to Metro Codes and Regulations to "conduct a thorough plan review and evaluation, required to ensure the building has proper features, construction, and safeguards for its intended use."

Some of those safeguards include a fire alarm system, smoke alarms, fire sprinklers, modifications to emergency exits, etc., and enough time needs to be allowed for a thorough review and approval.

Sims said despite the cold weather, the law is clear on the actions that must be taken once a violation is identified.

"Once a violation is identified by our Fire Prevention Inspectors, life safety is our highest priority and we have to ensure that the built environment provides the minimum protection from the devastating effects of fire."

Operation White Flag remains in effect in Louisville. Two shelters participate -- Wayside Christian Mission and the Salvation Army -- and will not turn people away.

In a statement on social media, The StrEatery said: "As you all know by now, The StrEatery’s Pop-up shelter has been shut down, we were heart broken to break the news to all that has trusted us on keeping them safe. We fed a lot of people and hosted a dozen people with a warm place and bed to sleep through the night. Our doors were open 24 hours and we would get people in the middle of the night seeking shelter. We all cried here knowing some decided to go back on the street bc they lost trust in the system. We learned a lot and heard a lot stories with the time that we here, we saw what the community could do when we all unite and put people first. I’m proud to apart of it and I’m sorry that we let everyone down. We will learn and do better, we will be ready to do it again and do it right, so no one who wants the help will be denied the help. We love everyone and we will pray for everyone tonight."

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