NEWPORT, Ky. — Newport city leaders say the purchase of nine Monmouth Street properties — including the Brass Ass, the Brass Mule and the Brass Bull — is a public safety investment as the city looks toward future redevelopment.
Police were called to the area more than 1,200 times from 2021 to 2025, according to statistics from the city of Newport. Calls for shots fired came in roughly three times a year, and calls for fights came in every other month on average over those five years.
Brian Steffen, assistant city manager for Newport, said the properties have a long history of public safety concerns.
"We've had a lot of major incidents on this particular block over the years," Steffen said.
WATCH: Newport city leaders detail public safety impact of Monmouth Street redevelopment
When asked why the businesses were able to remain open for so long and whether the city ever pursued a public nuisance designation, Steffen pointed to the legal and financial challenges of that path.
"There's property and business rights that apply to all businesses that certainly could play out in court, and those would be, would be a high-cost center as well to fight that battle," Steffen said.
Despite those challenges, Steffen said the acquisition is a win for the surrounding area.
"We see it as a benefit not only for this block, but the city in general," Steffen said.
Karen Minzner, owner of East Row Cakery, is bringing her business to Monmouth Street, down the street from the purchased properties. She said the presence of troubled businesses and vacant or deteriorating buildings has hurt the corridor.
"There are lots of wonderful businesses all along Monmouth, but when you have some businesses that are questionable, and the buildings are either vacant or in various states of disrepair, it hurts other businesses," Minzner said.
Minzner said she hopes the change will draw more people further south along Monmouth Street.
"You can see when people are walking down, and you see a building, and you know what it is, they turn around and go the other way, so it's a bit of a barrier to get people further south on Monmouth," Minzner said. "So yeah, I'll be happy to see something that's more family-friendly."
City leaders say the plan now is to put an RFP out for someone else to take over the properties, with the hope being some kind of mixed-use development.
