Owner JD Ybanez posted a lengthy video on Instagram, detailing his claims.
DALLAS — The legal battle that has kept Rodeo Dallas shuttered for over a month has escalated beyond the courtroom, with the bar’s owner accusing a real estate investment firm of trying to “gentrify” Deep Ellum.
In a video posted to the bar’s Instagram page, Joseph “JD” Ybanez, part-owner and operator of Rodeo Dallas, alleged that Asana Partners — the firm behind the lawsuit that resulted in the bar’s closure — is working to change the popular neighborhood by targeting businesses that bring in diverse crowds.
“They want their investment to increase in value, and how do they do that in their minds? Get rid of the Blacks and Mexicans, get rid of the clubs and the bars and the restaurants that they go to. The fact that no one can see that they’re just trying to gentrify the area for their benefit is mind-blowing,” Ybanez said in the video. “They essentially want to whitewash this area and get rid of the diversity.”
Ybanez claimed he has been in meetings with developers in which questions about music genres, dress codes, and demographics were raised. He said restrictions such as “no chains, no face tattoos, no white T-shirts, no Jordans” were suggested as ways to filter who could enter certain establishments.
“These people don’t give a [expletive] about the people that are in Deep Ellum right now,” Ybanez said. “They want everyone out.”
In previous statements, Asana Partners said its lawsuit was about safety, not discrimination.
“For the safety of all who work, live, and play in Deep Ellum, we are encouraged that Judge Veretta Frazier has handed down a temporary injunction against Rodeo,” Chris Dalton, Managing Director for Asset Management with Asana Partners, said in a statement last month.
The injunction, issued on Sept. 5, will keep Rodeo Dallas closed indefinitely while litigation plays out in Dallas County’s 44th District Court. Judge Frazier sided with Asana’s arguments that the bar had become a public nuisance, citing testimony of overserving, underage drinking, and crowd-control failures that allegedly fueled violence, including fights, injuries to officers, and even a murder.
Asana Partners is required to maintain a $2.25 million bond while the bar remains shut down.
Ybanez argued Rodeo has taken significant steps to address safety concerns, including hiring additional security, adding lighting, and enforcing stricter rules for entry. He said the accusations that the bar is the “linchpin of crime in Deep Ellum” are false.
“Our vision is to keep Deep Ellum diverse, to embrace the culture, yes, to make it safer, but to do it in a way that makes it safer for everybody,” Ybanez said. “I’m never gonna have a business that discriminates.”