Dave Chappelle Gets Chapped Over Ohio Affordable Housing Plan
An angry Dave Chappelle told his hometown council meeting Monday that he would not build two planned businesses in the area if they approved an ordinance that included dozens of affordable houing units.
The meeting, held Monday in Yellow Springs, Ohio, saw the ordinance defeated. Earlier, Chappelle called the village council “clowns” and said his ventures would be “off the table.”
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Chappelle reportedly is planning to develop a restaurant, the Firehouse Eatery, and comedy club, Live from YS. Both are under development in an old village firehouse, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported last year. The venues will sell food and alcohol and have indoor and outdoor seating, with separate seating for performances.
Documents posted by the Yellow Springs council showed that the proposal that angered Chappelle was pitched as a way to reduce the cost of housing and allow workers for village services to live near their jobs.
Chappelle’s company, Iron Table Holdings LLC, bought the former Miami Twp. Fire Station in December 2020 as the site for the ventures.
Yellow Springs is located near Dayton, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati. Chappelle previously said he envisioned the restaurant and club as intimate settings that will attract top and local talent
Chappelle did not say at the Monday meeting why he opposed the new development plan by the zoning committee. However, an architect who has worked with him said that the planned development would serve those outside the village more than its residents.
However, at a December meeting, the Dayton Daily News reported that Chappelle said he was “adamantly opposed” to the planned housing project and has “invested millions of dollars in town. If you push this thing through, what I’m investing in is no longer applicable.”
At the Monday meeting, according to video posted to the Yellow Springs Community Access YouTube page, Chapelle asked why the council would pursue the housing plan “while it kicks out a $65 million-a-year company.”
“I cannot believe you would make me audition for you, you look like clowns,” Chappelle said Monday. “I am not bluffing. I will take it all off the table.”
The vote on the matter deadlocked at 2-2, ensuring the new housing development cannot proceed, the Dayton Daily News reported.
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