Historic Phila. may get strip club

A well-known strip club is looking to branch into Old City, but some community groups are worried that such a business could damage tourism at nearby historical landmarks.

The Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment will decide April 28 whether to allow Scores Gentleman's Club to open at 450 N. Sixth St.

Scores spokesman Lonnie Hanover said the corporation -- which maintains clubs in 11 U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago and Miami -- wants to expand into Philadelphia because it is the "cradle of democracy -- it's one of the nation's greatest cities."

But some local groups say the club could taint the historic value of the area; the site for the club is only two blocks from the National Constitution Center and Independence National Historical Park.

"We believe that none of this kind of activity is an appropriate neighbor for the tourism," Old City Civic Association Vice President Richard Thom said.

And though zoning laws for the area do permit a club like Scores, Thom said the laws do not account for a residential trend in the surrounding area that he feels would make the club a poor addition.

"We don't believe that such activity as adult entertainment in our emerging residential neighborhood is an appropriate use, regardless of the zoning category [Scores] falls into," he said.

The opening of the strip club could also pose a parking problem; a traffic study conducted by Scores shows a need for 55 parking spaces, but only between 10 and 15 are available on the site, Thom said.

Marcus Saitschenko, a volunteer member of the Old City Civic Association and an Old City resident, said home buyers are generally not interested in purchasing houses within 500 or 1000 feet of strip clubs. As a result, he said, Scores would reduce demand for housing in the area and have a negative impact on housing values.

However, a spokesman for Scores said the area surrounding the potential site currently consists of warehouses and parking spaces.

"At least in its present condition, I don't think that Scores will have an effect on [the area]," he said.

The spokesman added that the strip club will bring over 100 new jobs to the city and its gourmet steakhouse will attract many patrons.

"Any of the food that's served there -- all of the provisions -- will have to be obtained locally," he said. "That's millions of dollars to be obtained locally."

Saitschenko said that while Scores would in general be a bad addition to Old City, it could contribute to the area by "revitalizing it," as well as doing good in other ways.

The area the club plans to move to is not the city's safest, he said, adding that increased pedestrian traffic could reduce any dangers.

"There's also the potential to make the area safer because of more street lighting," he said.

Saitschenko suggested that, if Scores obtains a license to move to Sixth Street, the license should be conditional; he said it should be revoked if Scores goes out of business.

"That way, if Scores bills itself as a high-end gentleman's club and is no longer there, then the worst, most tawdry, poorly managed strip club can't just pick up that license and continue operation -- it would have to go back to the board and seek a license again."

Saitschenko added that, if Scores were to obtain a license, patrons of the club should be subjected to security checks because he feels they are more likely than average to be carrying weapons.

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