FRIDAY, Jan. 21 – A new music venue is coming to downtown Lansing in a 100-year-old building at 224 S. Washington Square. The entire project, including the purchase and renovation, is estimated to cost just over $900,000.
RBM Properties proposed the renovation to the building. The Lansing Economic Development Partnership — LEAP — approved a $136,500 loan for the project. Kevin Meyer, a managing member of the company, is now co-owners of the building with Scott Bell. Both Meyer and Bell work as promoters for music festivals, such as Common Ground and Breakaway.
The city and state still need to approve a liquor license.
The building is the former home of a hookah lounge and was once a popular club spot. Club Paradise, which later became Club X-Cel, was a well-known gay bar during the 1990s. X-Cel nightclub was described on a Lansing bars webite as “young” and “fun,” offering “an atmosphere much closer to Chicago than to Lansing with a one-of-a-kind design.” The site was also a hip-hop venue remembered for multiple confrontations with the police.
The city assessor’s website lists a sale of the property Dec. 30, 2021. It says 1247 Center St. LLC sold the property to RBM Properties, LLC, for $300,000. It was formerly owned by Tom Donall, who owns Spiral Dance Club, 1247 Center St.
The 6,000-square-foot venue would fill a niche for a medium-sized venue, which are in short supply locally. It will accommodate general admission shows of 700 to 800 people, and no longer function as a nightclub, Bell confirmed. All genres of music would be welcome. Smaller events like weddings can utilize the space as well, as it will be available for rent.
The new owners plan to host more than 100 events every year, estimating that the venue will have an “impact at $10 million annually,” as reported by Fox 47.
In a phone call with City Pulse, Bell confirmed the already public information.
“Other than the publicly available quotes and data, we don’t have anything to add,” said Bell.
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Knucklehead
Why did the headline have to contain that it "was" gay club? Does that really even matter? Was it that important to put that in the headline? Pretty sure you could have left that out. It almost sounds like you are a ****phobic paper to me. Next time be smart about what you put in the headlines and if it really is important to put in.
Friday, January 21, 2022 Report this
Red19666
Back in the mid 80s this used to be three different stores. Looking at the building the left was Fannie Mae candy the middle was the vouge and on the left was a company that made picture frames and trophy's and odds and ends . I used to work there before it was bought by Tom Tripp to become a night club. He kept me on because I knew the building from maintaining it and keeping things running,the heater and air conditioner and lighting.
Friday, January 21, 2022 Report this