Albany

Party on, kids.

A state judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the city from shutting down large dance parties at the Washington Avenue Armory, the first win for the venue in the legal battle over the shows that the city claims transform the building into a massive illegal nightclub.

The order by state Supreme Court Justice Michael Lynch spares a show scheduled for Friday night — "Stuff Your Face With Bass" — after a string of cancellations that the venue's management said threatened to put it out of business.

The stay will be in effect for the duration of the lawsuit — perhaps as long as four months, a city official said.

On March 13, the city Board of Zoning Appeals ruled the parties were not allowed under the armory's zoning, backing an earlier move by code enforcement officials to halt the electronic dance music events — which the city likens to raves — over security and zoning concerns. Codes officials have also cited neighborhood complaints about noise and rowdy crowds that spill outside when they are over.

The armory's management, Albany Basketball and Sports Corporation, contends the shows are legally no different than any other concert, which the venue is allowed to host as an auditorium under its zoning.

The BZA broadly ruled that an auditorium means fixed seating, not a wide-open general admission area. Armory lawyers sued disputing the point.

"In all frankness," Lynch wrote, "it is difficult to discern the security difference arising from a concert where patrons are assigned fixed seating, compared to a general assembly concert."

"We haven't won the war, but we've finally won a battle," armory lawyer Gregory Teresi said. "Hopefully, after seeing this decision, the city will be finally willing to talk about trying to make this work for everybody. We need them to be partners with us on this. And as of right now, they haven't been willing to do that."

But Jeffery Jamison, commissioner, of the Department of Buildings and Regulatory Compliance, said he believed Lynch's decision erred by referencing security provisions of previous operating agreement between the city and venue that has since been voided and "which was no longer a point of contention within this specific suit."

"The application before the court was strictly on the BZA decision," which was about zoning, not security, Jamison said.

The dispute stems from an Oct. 18 incident outside one of the events when some party-goers fought with police, slightly injuring three officers and netting a number of arrests. The armory subsequently revamped its entrance and security procedures — as well as how it serves alcohol.

"We're proud of everybody involved, and we thank the ticket-holders and the people looking to go to the show for being patient, and we hope to see them (Friday night)," armory spokesman Michael Corts said. "We will fight to keep our doors open."