The landmark gay bathhouse Club Portland - self-proclaimed as the largest bathhouse on the West Coast, and rumored to have once hosted singer Bette Midler in a bathhouse-exclusive show - is closing its doors for good this Sunday, June 17.
But longtime customers and weekend Queer Pride revelers won't be hearing about the closing in advance - although the newly installed open/close sign on the Club's SW 12th Avenue entrance might be one clue. (it is long known that the Club is open 24/7/365, and the new sign was installed about a week ago; it is NOT shown in the photo above)
According to sources, the bathhouse will close immediately following Gay Pride weekend in Portland, as soon as midday on Sunday June 17, but is not telling customers about the closing so as not to scare away big revenue the Club will earn from Pride partiers. The Club, which sells 6-month or year-long "memberships" to gain access to its 4-story pantheon of pleasure, also does not intend to refund part or all of any memberships recently purchased.
Club Portland was opened in 1987 by Richard Lawson, a gay entrepeneur who has owned and operated bathhouses in Portland since the 1960's. Though he frequently came under fire for not adequetely stemming the rise of HIV and STD infections through the rumored rampant unsafe sex activities occuring at his Club, Lawson was also a donor to pro-gay political and nonprofit causes.
Once the slick new gay bathhouse Steam Portland opened its doors in 2003, Club Portland's business faltered, with customers choosing the squeaky-clean amenities of Steam over Club Portland's dingy, dilapidated atmosphere.
The approximately ten-person staff will, according to sources, all receive generous "bonus" packages shortly after the Club closes.
UPDATE 1 - Friday June 15, 6:15 pm: Repeated calls to Club Portland have not been answered, with the business answering service stating that their mailbox is full.
UPDATE 2 - Friday June 15, 8:05 pm: My Willamette Week WWire post on this is up. Also, Portland queer rag JustOut has apparently picked up the story as well, citing From Every Corner.
UPDATE 3 - Sunday June 17, 7:45 pm: According to sources, Club Portland's doors will be locked for good starting at 3:00 am on the early morning of Monday, June 18, 2007. The Club's closing signals the beginning of the end of an era on Stark Street, with the gay strip club Silverado scheduled to be shuttered as early as the end of 2007. The building which houses both venues will be razed and likely utilized for mixed-use commercial and residential spaces.
UPDATE 4 - Monday, June 18, 3:45 pm: The Club is now closed. Walked by today on my way to lunch and the front door had a "CLOSED" sign on it, with an RIP banner above the entrance, thanking customers for "forty years of business." Workers from the Club were seen dismantling the outdoor lighting and signage on SW 12th, overseen by silver-maned owner Dick Lawson.
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Oh yeah, and this is my favorite quote from their website:
"Leave the work pit & office space, and jump into a three-way fuck-stack and sweaty gangbang." (under the "Membership" tab)
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