SCRANTON, Pa. -- The owner of a downtown bar in Scranton has agreed to close its doors for the next six months after a judge declared it a nuisance bar.
Rocky's Lounge has been plagued with violence at least three times in the last few months.
Scranton police were called to Rocky's Lounge twice in two weeks for shooting outside the bar in October.
Then gunfire broke out again in December on Jefferson Avenue.
Now Rocky's owner, Rocco Fiore, has agreed with the Lackawanna County District Attorney's office to close for the next six months.
He was facing having to close for a year and a possible loss of his liquor license after a judge declared it a nuisance bar.
“Mr. Fiore and his attorney were extremely cooperative during negotiations and agreed that it was probably in the best interest of the community and his business establishment, based on the escalating criminal activity,” said Assistant District Attorney Judy Price.
When shots rang out, neighboring businesses were impacted.
Kildare's next door was put on lockdown for a time after one shooting.
Many University of Scranton students frequent Kildare's.
“Obviously it's a concern because kids go to Kildare's, they're always walking past Rocky's so I can see why the school would be worried where there's a bar next door where there's shootings,” said senior Sergey Gnilopyat.
Michael Kearney is the general manager of the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, that sits across the street from Rocky's.
He credits Rocky's owner for taking this step.
“The fact he took that stance states a lot about the type of character that he had and that we have here in Scranton, it's a very safe city,” said Kearney.
In order to reopen the bar, the owner has agreed to do a number of things.
That includes installing at least three cameras inside the bar and four cameras outside.
Of course, this means Rocky's will be closed during the Saint Patrick's Day parade celebration, one of the largest parties in downtown Scranton.
“Saint Patty's Day's huge here so not being open that day definitely cuts into whatever money he makes on that for the year,” said Gnilopyat.
Newswatch 16 did reach out to the attorney representing Rocky's owner but did not hear back.