Troubled Inwood Party Spot La Marina Files For Bankruptcy: Report

INWOOD, NY — Inwood's troubled party spot La Marina has filed for bankruptcy, citing six-figure debts to customers who booked the venue for private events and back taxes to the city, according to reports.

A company called the Manhattan River Group, which was awarded the city Parks Department concession in 2009, claims it's more than $600,000 in debt in bankruptcy papers filed in federal court in January, the New York Post first reported.

The debt is composed of $116,000 in deposits from 12 customers who booked La Marina for events, $221,676 in rent to the Parks Department and unpaird food, utility and service bills, according to the report.

La Marina co-owner Josh Rosen told the Post: "We expect to restructure the company and reopen in May as we normally do for the season."

But despite Rosen's rosy assessment of the concession's future, La Marina is in real trouble with the city and state.

In December, the business was shut down by the New York State Liquor Authority which said it will pursue a permanent revocation of the businesses' liquor license. State officials cited the recent arrest of a bar manager for narcotics trafficking and numerous violations of state liquor laws as the reason for the emergency license suspension.

Christian Mendez, 33, was arrested outside the Dyckman Street business in November and charged with seven counts of the criminal sale of a controlled substance. Mendez is accused of using La Marina as a drug den and sold large quantities of cocaine, oxycodone and marijuana to undercover officers at the business.

La Marina opened in 2012 after its owners struck a deal in 2009 with the city to open the business on land owned by the city Parks Department. Business owners pay the city to operate on what was once public parkland located where Inwood Hill Park meets Fort Tryon Park along the Hudson River.

Read the full NY Post article here.