Ladybug Club Applies to Add Adult Entertainment & Strippers

The political dispute over where and even whether to allow a strip club to open downtown has been a long-standing battle.

Now, a longtime nightspot in the city has entered the picture.

A group of investors associated with Silk Exotic have tried to put a strip club on Old World 3rd Street. They've applied for an adult entertainment licence six times. 

On April 17th, the Licenses Committee tabled the most recently application.

"The issue has always been that location. We keep getting that location applied for by the same people. We keep getting the same arguments and opposition," said Alderman Robert Bauman, District 4.

The location is in Alderman Bauman's district. At the meeting on April 17th, more than a dozen neighbors and businesses testified against a strip club on Old World 3rd.

Downtown establishment, The Ladybug Club, now named "618 Live on Water" has just applied for an adult entertainment license.

The club at 618 N. Water Street already has a liquor license and public entertainment license. That's some of the reason Alderman Bauman is open to this location.

"We'd have a gentlemen's club in place of nightclub. We'd probably have less problems, less shootings, less turmoil," said Bauman.

He believes a different clientele and age group could actually make the area safer.

The Ladybug Club's application may become a big deal. "PPH 1 Properties LLC," the group affiliated with Silk Exotic trying to get a strip club on Old World 3rd Street has 4 federal lawsuits pending against the city. All are for violating first amendment rights.

If an adult entertainment license were granted in another location, Alderman Bauman says those lawsuits wouldn't have any merit.

"We can go to the court and basically say,"Look, Judge, it's never been about first amendment issues, it's never been about the content of the entertainment, it's always been about the location."