An attorney for the downtown lounge that the City of Birmingham sued, saying it allowed an unsafe atmosphere to flourish, said the business is being targeted because of street exhibition driving in front of the business that it can’t control.

“We have provided a safe environment for our patrons,” said Julian Hendrix, attorney for Cru.

Cru staff never encouraged and have worked to prevent gatherings on the street to view exhibition driving, he said.

“They’ve done everything to ensure that no one has gathered,” Hendrix said. “They don’t have the ability to enforce the law. It’s unfortunate that when you tell them to disperse, they’re unwilling to.”

First Avenue North in front of Cru has been an attractive place for exhibition drivers to show off, he said.

“It’s wide,’ Hendrix said. “There’s a lot of space, especially in that intersection. Exhibition drivers, that’s what they choose. They choose these wide areas. Other areas, they don’t have the ability to spin those cars around. That’s why they choose the downtown area.”

The city sued Cru and has threatened to revoke its business license. Hendrix appeared at City Council on Tuesday and asked for a delay on a hearing to revoke the license. The hearing was moved back to June 18.

“We have a scan system and there’s nothing to indicate any of those individuals are going in and out of Cru,” Hendrix said. “You see when people are gathered at a place, it tends to attract more individuals.”

Hendrix said Cru understands the larger problem and danger of exhibition driving in the city.

“It’s been an ongoing challenge for the city,” Hendrix said. “We understand that. We’re behind the city. We’re going to do whatever we can to provide the city with resources and they provide us with resources to make sure it’s no longer an issue.”

City Council member Hunter Williams said that the public safety meeting that recommended to the full council that Cru’s license be revoked looked at a broader picture than exhibition driving happening in front of the business.

“What was determined was that the establishment was not doing what they needed to do to provide a safe atmosphere for their patrons, for visitors, or for the area around it,” Williams said after Tuesday’s council meeting. “We talked about a myriad of a complete complexity of issues, some of which have nothing to do with exhibition driving.”

The city filed a lawsuit against Cru. The landlord of Cru’s building asked last week to join in the lawsuit.

Williams noted that the property owner has sent Cru a cease and desist letter.

“That situation is a little bit more complex and I really think that the full public safety hearing speaks for itself,” and “encompasses a lot more than exhibition driving,” Williams said.