NEW CONCORDIA — Downtown nightlife operators are scrambling to reassure customers after an explosion destroyed one club and turned the city’s entertainment district into the kind of destination normally advertised with police tape.

Bar managers along the strip say they are reviewing emergency exits, gas systems and security procedures ahead of the weekend.

“People keep calling asking whether we’re going to explode,” one manager said. “For the record, exploding is not part of our entertainment package.”

The destroyed club had a reputation for heavy security, including guards controlling access to private upstairs areas. Witnesses also recalled seeing police officers speaking with club security outside the building before the explosion.

Authorities have not accused the business of wrongdoing and continue to investigate the blast.

Still, several nearby establishments reported cancellations after photographs of the wreckage circulated across local social media.

The Downtown Hospitality Association urged residents to continue supporting nightlife businesses, adding that New Concordia clubs remain “overwhelmingly safe.”

Nobody at the association volunteered to define “overwhelmingly.”