By Conor McCormick-Cavanagh, Westword | With the term-limited Michael Hancock on his way out, the 2023 race to become Denver’s next chief executive has already attracted twelve official candidates. But the thirteenth to announce he’s running for mayor could be the most unusual candidate yet: Nightclub operator Valentes Corleons says he’ll register to run within the next week or two.
“I’m a man of my community, and I want to stand here for the people and make Denver a better place,” says Corleons, whose legal name is Hussam Kayali. “I want to make a change in Denver. I want to protect all businesses. I want our voice to be heard.”
Corleons is best known in Denver for operating the once world-famous Beta Event Center at 1909 Blake Street from the end of 2019 into 2021. Under his ownership, the City of Denver accused Beta of law and code violations, some of which were identified by undercover Denver cops sent to investigate Beta in the summer of 2021. The Denver Department of Excise and Licenses revoked Beta’s liquor license this January, and then a Denver County Court judge declared Beta a public nuisance. The club has been closed since the start of the year.
So, too, has Cabin Tap House at 1919 Blake Street, the former home of Falling Rock. Corleons was operating the place on New Year’s when a celebration devolved into a shooting that left two dead. The City of Denver ordered the immediate closure of the venue.
Corleons remains involved in nightclub promotion in Denver — albeit without his own clubs — and says that his business battles with the City of Denver are part of why he’s running for mayor.
“What happened to me, I don’t want it to happen to any business owner,” says Corleons. “Any time there’s a shooting outside somewhere, they blame it on the business owner.”
Corleons has some ideas for how to increase safety in LoDo.
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Read the whole article here:
https://www.westword.com/news/denver-mayor-nightclub-valentes-corleons-14993316
[Thanks to Alex Teitz for contributing this article! http://www.femmusic.com ]
Conor McCormick-Cavanagh is a staff writer at Westword, where he covers a range of beats, including local politics, immigration and homelessness. He previously worked as a journalist in Tunisia and loves to talk New York sports.
September 15, 2022| Colorado Music-Related Business| Barb Dye