Across Mound Road from the Stellantis Truck Assembly and Stamping Plant facilities, the Motor City Sports Bar and Grill has been serving factory workers and people from the neighborhood for 14 years.

Many continue to come to Motor City even after they retire from Stellantis for their renowned burgers and familiar company.

“These customers are like my family, it is like Cheers here; everybody knows your name,” said bar owner Maria Nuculaj. “It is kind of an older crowd here and everyone mostly knows each other.”

There is a second location of Motor City Sports Bar & Grill in Hamtramck.

Last month, Warren City Council Secretary Mindy Moore called for Motor City Bar & Grill to be declared a nuisance and shut down. During the April 22 regular city council meeting she showed short videos of a crowded bar parking lot and parked cars lining both sides of Albany Avenue, which runs directly behind the bar. In one video, loud music could be heard but it was unclear what the source of it was.

“The problems are not inside the bar, it is the parking area around the bar that is the issue,” said Moore. “The parking lot is just too small for that business.”

Moore described the activity in the parking lot much like a tailgate at a sporting event with people loitering, drinking alcohol and listening to loud music.

“They are gathering outside the bar and the activity is spilling on to Albany, Syracuse and Elza,” said Moore.

Moore alleged there have been 253 police runs to 21231 Mound Road over the past three years, which she believes is grounds to ask the city attorney’s office to declare Motor City Bar & Grill a public nuisance and shut it down.

“There was another bar on Hoover that was a big problem and we declared it a nuisance and we were going to shut them down,” said Moore in reference to the building at 24300 Hoover that had been several different bars including Hot Rocks, Rhinestone Cowboy and New York New York. “They changed to country music and all of the problems went away.

“Maybe the owner of Motor City wants to change the music or the kind of place it is,” she said.

That building on Hoover Road closed in 2021 and is currently vacant.

Nuculaj said she was shocked when she heard her establishment was discussed during last month’s council meeting and that the council voted unanimously to begin proceedings to declare the bar a nuisance.

“We were never notified that this was going to be on the agenda and no one from the City Council has ever spoken to me or come here to discuss any concerns,” Nuculaj said. “We have met with Warren police officials in the past and I have worked with them to solve any issues.”

Nuculaj said she added cameras in the parking lot a year ago and noted there are large signs posted in multiple locations on the property stating that loitering and loud music are prohibited. Recently, she hired parking attendant staff to ensure people are not parking at odd angles or blocking ingress and egress.

The parking lot north of the bar is paved but the large lot behind the bar is dirt so there are no painted lines to outline where people should park.

“We have not been ticketed by the police for any violations and I question the number of police runs the council secretary stated; it seems exaggerated,” said Nuculaj.

Nuculaj also questioned the suggestion to change from R&B to country music and said she believes the city council move to close her business is racially motivated because her clientele is majority Black.

“We’ve been here for over 14 years so why suddenly is there a problem,” Nuculaj said. “

Warren Police Department Capt. Paul Hotus spoke during the April 22 meeting and emphasized the bar owner is only responsible for what happens on bar property.

“This is spilling out on to the streets and the owner does not have responsibility for that,” Hotus said. “This is a smaller venue and the parking lot is too small and not in good condition so people park on the street.”

Hotus suggested asking Nuculaj build a wall across the back of the parking lot to replace the existing chain link fence to help cut down on noise and to help contain bar activity to its property.

“If you build a barrier like that it should help move people along and will also block noise,” Hotus said.

Moore said as far as she knows, no legal or police complaints have been filed by the city attorney’s office regarding Motor City since the April 22 meeting.

The next Warren City Council meeting is scheduled for May 13, 7 p.m. at the Warren Community Center Auditorium.