Game room talks come to halt, as owners fail to appear at meeting

The District Attorney's office would have hosted a meeting with owners Billy and Bob Schoepe. The owners of the University Pinball game room -- which city officials closed last Friday -- failed to appear at a meeting scheduled yesterday to discuss options for the property, halting discussions with city and University representatives. University officials, the District Attorney's office and representatives from the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections had planned to discuss the business at 40th and Spruce streets with Billy and Bob Schoepe, who own the building and the game room. City officials shut down the pinball arcade Friday, calling it a public nuisance. "We were going to consider the ways in which any problems at the game room could be resolved in a way that would serve the interests of all parties," Assistant DA Carl Anderson said. Representatives of both the University and the city government said they want to work with the Schoepes to ensure that the game room no longer poses a public safety hazard. The 24-hour game room creates a "major threat to students' safety" and attracts a clientele that initiates fights, urinates in the street and possibly conducts drug transactions, according to University officials. Because the landlords didn't show up for yesterday's meeting, the cease operations order will remain in effect -- and the business will remain closed -- until the Schoepes decide to take further legal action, Anderson said. He added that the DA's office is now waiting for the Schoepe brothers to indicate why they missed the meeting or the next steps they wish to take. "The ball is in their court," Associate University General Counsel Roman Petyk said. Petyk explained that possible legal remedies available to the Schoepes include filing a motion to oppose the cease operations order in court or meeting with city and University officials to find alternatives. He indicated that University officials are willing to talk about the property and have "always been prepared" to engage in discussions. But Executive Vice President John Fry said recently that meetings with the Schoepes have not yielded any visible changes, adding that officials have attempted to "take the high road" with them, but have been unable to make progress. Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush said the Schoepes continued a pattern of bad relations with the University by failing to appear at the meeting yesterday. "Their reaction is not new to us," she said. "They're continuing their myopic view of the world." The Schoepes' failure to appear at the meeting halts discussions and is "regretful," Anderson said. "It is very unfortunate that the owners of the store did not meet with the concerned parties to attempt to fashion an amicable resolution to this matter," he added. Rush said she anticipates the business will not remain closed for a lengthy period of time. "I can't imagine it will stay stagnant," she said. "The business owners are going to want to do something soon." Billy Schoepe did not return phone calls yesterday.

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