Back in September, we told you about the vacant commercial space at 1318 Chestnut St., which was at that time getting a new store front. The new windows have been installed and the first floor space is still tenant-less, but there has been some interest in the retail space in the basement. From an after-hours night club.

The vacant space

As the “Midtown Village” corridor continues to evolve with a veritable vault of culinary delights for foodies, the Washington Square West Civic Association (WSWCA) wants to support nearby businesses that will contribute to this scene. Apparently, a late night club open from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. in the basement of the former Mitchell and Ness space does not fit the bill.

That’s why its board voted to oppose an application for a nightclub to include live entertainment, DJ, music, dancing by patrons and preparation and serving of cold beverages. This, after the club received a vote of non-opposition from the zoning committee, according to a member of said body.

WSWCA had concerns that the location would remain dark during the daytime while other businesses along the block were open. As the area is (hopefully) growing in its commercial viability, they think a better fit would be a business that could participate in that development. On the other hand, from what we can gather, the application is only for the basement space and doesn’t include the first floor retail space. So it wouldn’t have an impact on the commercial viability of the block either way. Or do we have it all wrong?

The zoning hearing for the space is next Wednesday. We’ll see what happens…

–Lou Mancinelli