The organizers of a dance party for charity in the underground parkade at Honest Ed’s scrambled to find a new venue for their event Wednesday after the bargain store’s manager pulled out of Friday night’s shindig due to “safety concerns.”

Late Wednesday, party organizer Daniel Tal told the Star they had finally clinched a new party locale and redubbed the hip hop dance bash, “99 Problems But a Venue Ain’t One.”

“We’re extremely relieved,” said Tal, 28, co-founder of Dudebox, the party-for-charity group behind the event. “We’re in a good position to make sure everybody comes out of this feeling positively.”

Earlier Wednesday, Honest Ed’s general manager Russell Lazar said he nixed the party after reading in the Star that organizers expected up to 1,400 people to attend. More than 2,200 people have said on Facebook that they will go to the party.

Proceeds from the event are to go to Wellspring, an organization that supports people with cancer and their caregivers.

“I think there are a lot of safety concerns that need to be addressed,” Lazar told the Star on Wednesday. “You can’t hold unlimited people down there (in the parking lot).”

Lazar added that he felt uncomfortable knowing the group throwing the party, Dudebox, held “pop up” parties on rooftops without permits in the early days of its existence.

Their new venue is an event space at 99 Sudbury St., near Queen and Dufferin, with a capacity of 1200, said Tal.

Before clinching the new space, Dudebox had reached out to David Mirvish, whose family owns Honest Ed’s and put out a call on Facebook for supporters to take to social media to pressure the business to host the event.

“It’s a fundraiser, so if it’s cancelled, no funds will be raised,” Tal had said, estimating the party could raise close to $20,000 for Wellspring. “It’s extremely disappointing for everybody.”

Margaret Valois, a spokesperson for Wellspring, said earlier the cancellation would have been “devastating” for an organization that relies on donors to stay afloat and help people with cancer.

“We really hope that something can be worked out and this can be rescheduled,” she said.

In a letter Lazar sent to Tal on Wednesday, Lazar said he’s open to holding a Dudebox event at a later date, once his safety concerns are addressed. To accommodate the hundreds of people Dudebox expects to attend, Lazar suggested to the Star that the party could be held on the surface of the Honest Ed’s parking lot, along the alleyway that leads north from Lennox St. to Bloor St.

“They mean well and I admire what they do,” Lazar said. “You couldn’t have a better, more worthy cause.”

Despite saving the party from cancellation, Tal lamented the loss of the Honest Ed’s parking lot as their dance bash locale.

“What’s so exciting about (this Friday’s party) is the venue and the space and the legend of Honest Ed’s,” he said. “It’s disappointing.”

Donna McFarlane, a nearby resident and board member of the local Palmerston Area Residents’ Association, said there were concerns about people spilling out onto Lennox St. late at night when the party wrapped up. But she said Dudebox accommodated these concerns by promising to block access to the residential street and have revelers leave via Bloor St. on the north end of the parking lot. McFarlane said she was hopeful the party would work out.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

“It’s especially unfortunate for Wellspring,” she said.

Lazar agreed that it’s a shame to pass on an event that would raise money for an organization like Wellspring, but said he can’t allow the party to go on if he doesn’t feel assured that it’s safe.