Owners from Xtaza and Room16 night clubs, also housed in the building, did not return requests for comment.
Rossilynne Culgan / The Inclineįeatures like its Southern pine floors, numerous windows and high ceilings will remain a part of the four-story building, constructed next to the 16th Street Bridge in 1921 for a cable manufacturer, NEXT Pittsburgh reported.Ĭostume World, also located in the block-long building, closed in April. Upstairs business Stout Training plans to relocate to 27th Street in a newly renovated space. The building was bought, and that’s the way it is,” he said.Ĭhicago developer McCaffery Interests plans to close on the deal for 1600 Smallman Street this fall to renovate the 120,000 square feet for retail and restaurant spaces on the first floor with office space above, according to the company’s marketing manager Melissa Warmouth.Īn application for redevelopment. “We wish we had more time to throw a couple more things we were known for, but we’ve got to go. While patrons look back at Cruze as a welcoming space, its closure reflects the changing role of gay bars for the LGBTQ community, even in the time since it opened. “We’ve always focused on being a safe space for everyone to come together and get along.” “We tried our hardest to be an all-inclusive bar,” said Greg Campo, the bar’s manager and part-owner, who moved to Pittsburgh with his husband four years ago to operate Cruze with bar owners Peter Karlovich and Steve Herforth. The building along Smallman Street it has occupied for seven years has been sold to a Chicago developer. Saturday’s “Last Dance” party will now be called the “It’s Not Over” party. It had initially announced Saturday’s “Last Dance” party as its final event, but the bar was granted a last-minute extension to keep operating for now, with an exact closure date to be determined. This story has been updated to reflect the new information.Īs drag performers Sonia May-Bottom and Blade Matthews hosted Cruze night club’s open stage contest earlier this week, they bid the crowd farewell with sadness: “We’ll see you when we see you,” Matthews said.Ĭruze, the landmark club in the Strip District that calls itself “gay-owned, gay-operated, and gay proud,” will soon close, citing development in the neighborhood. An exact closure date has not been announced. 14: Cruze has been granted an extension and now will not close on Sept. 8 with “ The Once & For All Closing Ball.”
30, 2019: Cruze will close on Friday, Feb.