Scandal: LIC Gentrification Threatens Strip Club

Long Island City's transition from gritty industrial wasteland to luxury condo playground has been largely without major incident, but there's a scandal on the horizon.

Make that Scandals, which is the name of the strip club just over the bridge at 24-03 Queens Plaza North (the one-story jiggle palace is highly visible from the elevated 7-train platform, which is how we know it, we swear).

Scandals has been at the location since 2002, and now that the new condo building View59 has popped up next door, Community Board 2 wants the club out. The Real Deal reports that the city is trying to convert the certificate of occupancy to an adult-club-unfriendly "60/40" arrangement, meaning fewer than 40 percent would be available for adult business. Scandals has responded with a lawsuit, arguing that "its First Amendment and other rights have been threatened by the contradictory and erroneous positions of the Department of Buildings."

The State Supreme Court said yesterday that the Board of Standards & Appeals will have to rule on the city's application before Scandals' lawsuit can continue. Why doesn't View59 just open a Scandals entrance off the lobby and call it an amenity?
 

Copyright © 2009 Curbed

Copyright CURBD
Contact Us