Ballpark Tavern To Stay Closed Until July

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, PA — Ballpark Tavern, the strip club in Bristol Township authorities accuse of being a hotbed of drugs, prostitution and other criminal activity, will remain closed until at least next month, according to officials.

A court hearing in the case of the Levittown club that had been scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed until July 17, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's office. The club was shut down via a court order on Friday.

A spokesman for the DA's office said the club will remain shuttered until at least then.

Located at 7201 Bristol Pike, the club represents a "common nuisance," according to the court order, signed by Judge Robert J. Mellon. A case had been brought against the club by Pennsylvania State Police, the state Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement and the DA's office.

State officials cited prostitution, overdoses, public drunkenness and other issues as their reasons.

"Since 2017, law enforcement has documented a pattern of illegal and irresponsible behavior from the operators of Ballpark Tavern, its employees, and patrons," said Maj. Scott T. Miller, director of the PSP Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement. "Beyond repeated violations of the liquor code, we uncovered instances of public drunkenness, prostitution, and overdoses that were negatively affecting people and other businesses in the area."

Additionally, officials said, DCNR rangers routinely investigated complaints of patrons of the bar polluting the Delaware Canal Towpath nearby.

Under Pennsylvania's liquor code, the court can prevent a business from being operated for one year if authorities present proper cause. That cause can come in the form of liquor code violations, police incidents and community complaints.