ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando production studio, accused of building out recording spaces and hosting events like boxing matches and parties featuring exotic dancers, all without any permits, has been cleaned out.
The locks were changed at suites 9 and 10 on 3601 Vineland Road, after a judge ruled in favor of the landlord, who sued the company known as KDS One, for eviction.
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Investigative Reporter Karla Ray first exposed the public safety violations in the space, and she was there today when deputies helped attorneys for the landlord take the space back.
It’s the final step in a two-year eviction battle between the suite owner and tenant. A judge ruled KDS One was in violation of not just the lease, but zoning and code enforcement rules.
The owner of the building argued KDS operated the space as a ‘club open until 3am including a $20 cover charge and exotic dancers’ from out of state, during the thick of the pandemic in the fall of 2020.
Court records also show a claim of a separate, boxing event called the ‘O-Town Showdown,’ featuring guest DJs, live performances, ring girls and bottle service, where tickets were sold to the general public.
“And all in a space that had where the interior improvements were done without pulling a single permit,” Lowndes shareholder and attorney Jamie Walson said. Walson represents the building owner.
He’s referring to code violations, including the lowering of ceiling height, adding rooms, installing showers, bathrooms and kitchens, and altering the electrical system for the installation of sound equipment and recording booths, without any permits or inspections.
Fire inspectors noted in December 2021, the sprinkler heads were in an unsafe position. Until it was fixed, no one was supposed to be in the suite.
Attorneys for KDS One told 9 Investigates last month that those improvements were done by a licensed contractor, but the judge determined that was not true.
“It’s not, we think we’ve got about $200,000 of work that we’re going to have to do to bring it back into compliance,” Walson said.
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The judge ruled KDS One has to pay that amount, plus accelerated rent of more than $400,000 for the breach of contract.
We reached out to KDS One’s attorney but have not heard back.
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