As Larry and Carol’s continues to operate after a drug bust on Tuesday, authorities continue to make efforts to shut down the restaurant, much to the praise of local corporations.

“Again, the ultimate goal is to get the business to close its doors,” said Mike Manko, spokesman for District Attorney Stephen Zappala.

On Aug. 27, Fadi Aboud, 35, the owner of Larry and Carol’s Pizza Restaurant, located at 410 Semple St., was arrested and charged for alleged major drug possession at his establishment. After a six-month-long investigation, authorities searched both the restaurant and Aboud’s home in the lower Hill District, confiscating an assortment of narcotics including cocaine, Percocet, OxyContin and marijuana, as well as paraphernalia.

Zappala is attempting to declare the pizza shop a “nuisance property,” allowing him to order its closure within 10 days of the declaration. 

This ability is a result of Zappala’s collaboration with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to create a Nuisance Property Task Force in March 2010. The force is comprised of representatives of the city Law Department, the District Attorney’s Office, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Building Inspection. 

According to a statement from March 2011, the partnership between the city and the district attorney led to the eviction of 33 nuisance properties in Pittsburgh. 

Wanda Wilson, executive director for Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, appreciates the efforts to close the business.

“I think that’s a positive step in the right direction for making a better community. We work in cooperation with a lot of residents through code enforcement to target disruption in the neighborhood,” she said. “It’s good to see there’s enforcement going on with the community and creating a better neighborhood.”

However, Jim Flannery, a professor in Pitt’s law school, noted that while the closure of such a business may be seen as positive, it can have unforeseen effects due to the responsiveness of the city and impact upon the neighborhood.

“In actual practice, however, even the immediate ‘local’ impact of closing a nuisance property may sometimes be more complex — a mixture of positive and negative results. In addition to removing an eyesore or a health hazard, for example, the closing may lead directly or indirectly to a loss of tax revenue, an empty business front that will give the appearance of blight, reduced local employment opportunities, etc.,” Flannery said in an email.  

An employee at Larry and Carol’s refused to comment on the charges or status of the business on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Additionally, an unidentified party at Larry and Carol’s hung up the phone when the restaurant was contacted last night. 

Aboud could also not be reached for comment.

According to Manko, Zappala regularly communicates with police chiefs from local universities about public safety, and will reach out to them again to discuss ideas or initiatives that could cultivate a safer area in light of the recent arrest at Larry and Carol’s.