And The Plot Thickens!!!!

[Nolimit]

Posted May 6th, 2002 6:00 PM

Fly Life

by Tricia Romano

Let's Get This Party Started Right

In order to open up a nightclub in New York City, you'd better be an angel or a saint. At least, that's the impression I got watching the two-hour song and dance given by Crobar representatives to Community Board 4 last Wednesday night. Club owners Callin Fortis and Ken Barilich did everything to prove that they are model citizens, not like those other club owners (Sleazy, Shady, and Skanky). Fortis and Barilich brought in an army of people to testify before the board—including former Miami Beach mayor Neisen Kasdin, ex-special narcotics prosecutor for New York City Robert Silbering, and, believe it or not, a Tibetan monk, the Venerable Nicholas Vreeland, a liaison for the Tibet Center on 32nd Street, who gamely offered, "I guess I'm here to represent the spiritual side of Crobar." The only people not present to vouch for Cal and Ken: their mothers.

It worked. The board approved 38-8 to open a club on 530 West 28th Street, across the way from the ill-fated Twilo and Tunnel. The space—at 40,000 square feet—is gargantuan, and has been eyed over the years by many club owners, including Peter Gatien, whose name was invoked repeatedly at the meeting, since a Page Six item had linked him to the Crobar peeps. Of course, Fortis and Barilich did everything to distance themselves from the fallen club king. At one point, a community board member read parts from a letter written by Space owner Luis Puig—a competitor of Crobar in South Beach—implying Crobar was in cahoots with Gatien. Apparently, Puig had also set his sights on the West 28th Street spot, but after turning down an offer from Gatien, claimed that Gatien told him he'd "never have that building." Puig suggested Crobar and Gatien had set up a similar partnership deal.

Fortis denied an association, stating that the charges were "put out there intentionally to hurt us," and told the board, "Luis Puig and Peter Gatien would have made terrific partners." Ouch.

If Fortis and Barilich are in a deal with Gatien, they are doing a fine job of pissing on his already tarnished image. Next step for the dapper, tall-and-tanned Adonis Crobar boys—a week's vaca, and hopefully approval from state and city agencies for a real superclub.

Vinyl is getting a phazon and a complete facelift

Crobar will hopefully open in 6 months. It's time to take it to the next once again!

[phrankadelic]

things are lookin up!

[shroomy]

Crobar really is the best managed (and owned) club on the beach. Kenny and Manager Dave Silver could teach the rest of the beach a lesson in how to treat a customer/clubber. They either really care about the patrons (all of them, not just the VIP) or realize that the money will come when the patrons are happy, which really amounts to the same thing.

[vicman]

awwwwww yeaaaaaah...more road trips to NY will be in order

[pod]

crobar is what NYC needs right now...a hit of Miami sophistication to shake things up.

[joeygk]

I'm wondering which road the crobar people will go? Crobar Chicago has got that dark industrial feel, while Crobar Miami is posh & trim.

Either way I think it's a good thing for NYC. There has been a huge hole ever since Twilo closed, hopefully this will help mend the wound.

*I also have to agree w/ Shroomy on this one.

[Nolimit]

what sort of sophistication does miami have that nyc needs?

please.. all we need is a fucking superclub with state of the art sound and lights and some shit hot dj talent.

[james954]

please.. all we need is a fucking superclub with state of the art sound and lights and some shit hot dj talent.

do you need me to mail that off to santa for you?

if crobar is smart, they'll do it completely different than any of the other franchises. pretty sad that it takes a chicago/miami club to bail out the "cutting edge" metropolis that is nyc.

[digital7]

We'll see what happens. One thing for sure is that they'll have to bring in more talent than what I've seen down here in Miami. One guest a month won't cut it IMO. I wonder what their approach is going to be, should be interesting to see what they'll be doing

[pod]

I'm talking millions of dollars worth of fine Italian engineering (no not Monica Belluci ) hovering outside of the door, as opposed to a beat up Saturn SC and a station wagon.

Knock it all ya want, but there's nothing like seeing a few Lamborghinis lined up and the words 'Tonite Dave Seaman' on the marquee...

[staceyg5]

Originally posted by james954

do you need me to mail that off to santa for you?

if crobar is smart, they'll do it completely different than any of the other franchises. pretty sad that it takes a chicago/miami club to bail out the "cutting edge" metropolis that is nyc.

hmm??? has diego been naughty OR nice this year?!?

<consulting magic 8 ball..."highly unlikely">

agreed "don". no reason for nyc to be hurt'n the way they are. don't make this a twilo 2. change it up!

[tyco]

Originally posted by james954

do you need me to mail that off to santa for you?

if crobar is smart, they'll do it completely different than any of the other franchises. pretty sad that it takes a chicago/miami club to bail out the "cutting edge" metropolis that is nyc.

what's the difference anyway.............

after it opens in NY it'll be a NY club............with it's own flavor.