In a somewhat surprising turn of events, a well-known strip club in downtown Grand Rapids has been sold to a real estate developer who wants to redevelop the property as an upscale condominium development, office building, or even a mixed-purpose development. The building, which was once host to The Lady Godiva's Showgirls, will no longer feature a sex toy shop and a club and bar with bikini-clad waitstaff, as it has for many years.
The property was sold on June 30th to Maplegrove Property Management, a company which already owns properties in the downtown area, including The Heritage Collection, Hopson Flats, and 38 Commerce. As a point of comparison, 38 Commerce is a mixed-purpose building with retail rental spaces available on the street level, office space throughout part of the building, and apartmants and penthouse apartments throughout the rest of the building. In total, there are 35 apartments, all of which are LEED certified. The features that aided in 38 Commerce receiving that certification include a green roof, low-VOC/no-VOC paints and finishes in the units, low-flow faucets, dual-flush toilets, Energy Star rated appliances and furnaces, excellent insulation in the building itself, and built-in recycling and trash chutes, helping tenants to minimize environmental impact and waste.
As the building that previously held Lady Godiva's Showgirls is developed, it is likely the management company will continue using green building techniques to create unique, upscale condos with minimal footprint a walking distance from everything that Grand Rapids has to offer downtown. There is also talk of another mixed-purpose building, much like 38 Commerce.
As for the original business, Lady Godiva's has contributed to the Grand Rapids downtown scene, though often in unintended or even negative ways. The venue seemed a magnet for controversy while it was operational, and it regularly made the local news. For example, in 2011, the club was accused by Broadcast Music, Inc of illegaly playing songs at the club, including songs by Amy Winehouse, R. Kelly, and Rivers Cuomo without appropriate permissions or royalties. Broadcast Music, Inc brought a lawsuit, citing “great and incalculable damage.”
That lawsuit was the result of the owner's refusal to pay the higher rate of royalty/useage fees, despite the performers inability to dance topless, following a 2006 local regulation that banned topless performances. Records show that royalty payments were made, but rejected and requested at the higher, adult performance rate.
Of course, the music usage scandal pales in comparison to the on-site shooting that occurred on New Years Day in 2009. A patron, Howard Harris, from Belding, was shot six times after bumping into another patron at the club. Chucky Jackson, the shooter, was eventually shot and killed by two State Troopers. It started as a basic brawl until Jackson drew his gun, shooting Harris and club manager Michael Gritzmaker before being fatally shot by law enforcement himself.
Those who felt that the strip club was a blight on Grand Rapids' downtown can now breathe a sigh of relief; the club was closed last Tuesday once the sale was finalized. Those who can't imagine working or living in a space that used to be home to numerous exotic dancers have no need to fret; the existing building is being torn down, possibly as soon as this fall, with new construction to follow.