LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Customers will once again be able to step inside Boone’s Marathon in the Portland neighborhood.
Some residents in the area said they hope the owners’ win the fight to stay open.
“There's a lot of incidents going around here that don't have nothing to do with the people in the store," Brandon Hanes, a customer, said.
Hanes said the only thing Boone’s Marathon is guilty of is being too welcoming.
"It's several gas stations around here but they don't help the people like this one does," he said.
Hanes said the gas station is a safe place for many people in the Portland, especially those who are homeless.
"It’s really the only place that I feel that I got to be able to go to come to a store," he said.
The city of Louisville had issued the store an order to vacate, saying that it was a public nuisance due to several incidents including a murder in July.
The city also said it issued multiple citations including $400 for someone selling drugs in the parking lot in December 2021 and $800 for a shooting in May 2022.
District 5 Councilwoman Donna Purvis, who represents Portland, said she heard complaints from several people asking for the gas station to be shut down.
“That really affects the quality of life of people that live nearby or people that would want to go there to get gas or go by and grab grocery items – they just don’t feel safe doing so,” she said.
Louisville Forward confirmed Boone’s appealed the order Monday afternoon.
This means the business can continue to operate until the outcome of the appeal.
Customers said they are hoping for the best.
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