Former Gold Club space sought for another nightclub – Updated
April 7, 2009 at 6:47 pm by Scott Henry in NewsThe vacant building that once housed the notorious Gold Club could again become a nightclub – providing nearby homeowners drop their opposition.
On Tuesday evening, Buckhead’s Neighborhood Planning Unit B gave a thumbs-up to a proposal by a group calling itself F & C Buckhead Investments to reopen the property at 2416 Piedmont Road as a new nightclub.
It was the applicants’ second appearance before the NPU. Last month, admits partner Jonathan Clay, they weren’t prepared to answer details questions about landscaping plans, floor plans, management team, etc.
“People had concerns just based on the history of the property,” says Jeff Shell, the NPU chairman.
Ah, yes, Gold Club history. When the Feds took possession of the property in 2001 following a high-profile conspiracy trial, it was written into a legal covenant that the building can never house another strip club. If you’d like to reminisce, allow me to suggest this article from 2001.
But Tuesday went well, says Clay, who runs a construction financing firm. It will be his first foray into the nightclub business, although he says his partner, John Frazier, owns a share in the Buckhead restaurant/bar Via. Although they haven’t revealed the name or settled on a theme, their plans are for an “upscale lounge and nightclub” with a dance floor, Clay says. He adds that the notorious VIP rooms – once a playground for such NBA stars as Patrick Ewing and Dennis Rodman – will be taken out, but the mezzanine will remain.
The site already is zoned for use as a nightclub, but Clay and Frazier still need a liquor license. They expect the renovated club should be ready to open in another four months or so.
“Personally, I think it’s a perfect location for a nightclub and could be an asset for the neighborhood,” says Shell, noting that the site has ample parking behind a security fence and is close to a MARTA stop.
Trivia question: The Feds unloaded the Gold Club property a few years back. Who’s the current owner?
(Answer: A group headed by former Beltline land baron Wayne Mason and the Kim King estate.)
April 7th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
I wanted to answer the question! I actually know who the owner is.
April 9th, 2009 at 10:29 am
I don’t know the owner, but one tenant was a church.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/23801/infamous_atlanta_strip_club_now_a_church/
That tidbit inspired numerous emails among my co-workers that, while hilarious, certainly diminished our heavenly reward.