Former Metro Entertainment Complex site to become self-storage facility

JACKSONVILLE, Fla – The house of the previous LGBTQ nightclub, Membership Metro, can be re-developed right into a self-storage facility.

For almost three a long time, the Metro Leisure Complicated on Willow Department Avenue close to Put up Road was referred to as a haven for Jacksonville’s LGTBQ neighborhood. It was recognized for its drag reveals, karaoke, music, video games and extra. Now, the constructing stands boarded up. Nobody could be seen coming or going. The previous proprietor, Jerry Rosenberg, stated struggles from the pandemic led to the choice to shut and promote.

“I miss it,” Rosenberg stated. “I miss it terribly. So, we’re nonetheless very hopeful that after the pandemic, issues will come again as a result of we nonetheless personal the identify and all their mental properties and Metro.”

Rosenberg stated the closing was a choice that didn’t come straightforward. In the course of the pandemic, the house owners of Jacksonville’s Solar-Ray opened a drive-in movie show within the membership’s giant parking zone.

“When the movie show got here in, I used to be so excited that they have been going to do a drive-in movie show and maintain the legacy going,” Rosenberg stated. “After which that fell via principally, on the cut-off date of March 1 of final 12 months.”

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Rosenberg just isn’t the one one who misses it.

“It was a house, you already know, the primary 12 months that we owned it nearly 16 years in the past,” Rosenberg stated. “We closed in the course of the day on Thanksgiving. And other people have been so upset with me for doing that, as a result of that was the place they might go to be with their pals.”

Now, the property will turn out to be a brand new house to a self-storage facility. In response to News4JAX information companions the Jacksonville Day by day Document, Atlantic Self Storage purchased the property in September and paid $1.85 million. The power can be 4 tales tall. The corporate’s web site stated it already operates about 50 amenities in Northeast Florida.

Whereas issues appear to be shifting ahead for the previous membership’s web site, Rosenberg stated there’s no phrase on when he could possibly reopen and even the place the brand new location can be. However he does know he’d need it to be on a smaller scale, and maintain it confined to a few rooms: a disco, a recreation room, and a piano bar.

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“We have been at all times at full capability on Homosexual Delight weekend, on Halloween, and on New Yr’s Eve” Rosenberg stated. “And if we might have simply been in that capability, extra via the 12 months on the weekends, we might have afforded to rent a correct Basic Supervisor and be capable of do upgrades and issues like that. This is the reason we want a smaller, extra manageable location,” he continued.

Rosenberg stated his aim is to reopen the membership as soon as the pandemic is extra below management. And as soon as once more present a protected area.

“We have been at all times there for the neighborhood,” Rosenberg stated. “And we have been, along with being a nightclub, we have been actually just like the LGBT neighborhood middle. So, it’s, it’s drastically missed.”

As of now, there’s no actual time-frame on when the brand new storage facility can be constructed.