Following an alleged case of size discrimination at the Union Bar, 121 E. College St., city officials have ordered the bar to dismantle its dance platform.

The Department of Housing and Inspection Services inspected the bar on Monday and sent out a formal violation order the same day.

"We told them that they had to take it down," code-enforcement assistant Jann Ream said. "If they want to build [another] special dance platform, they’ll need to apply for a permit and do all the regulatory steps.

Ream told The Daily Iowan the violation order was filed because the Union Bar built the dance platform without a permit and because the roughly 4-foot square and 4-foot tall platform didn’t meet the safety requirements.

She said the dance platform was likely assembled after the department conducted its yearly inspection in July 2011.

The department does not plan to inspect any other bars at this point following the Union Bar’s violation.

"We catch them on our yearly inspection," Ream said. "Or, if someone wants to complain, we always take complaints."

— by Kristen East