LAKE FOREST – David Bailey opened The Library Gentlemen’s Club 4-1/2 years ago as a haven, a retreat that served Cristal champagne, fine wine and top-shelf liquor.
He offered limousine service to the lounge that has a high-end sound system and intricate lighting that showcases the club’s entertainment – topless dancers.
“It’s a social club,” said Bailey, 28. “I wanted people to have a party all the time.”
The Library, which started as a bikini bar, will close its doors for good Tuesday as part of a lawsuit settlement with the city to cease operations.
The city had filed last year against Bailey’s company, P.I. Industries, saying topless and lap dances were taking place without a permit. City officials also said the club violated an ordinance by operating as a topless bar less than 1,000 feet from a residential neighborhood.
The center in which it is located, El Toro Square off of El Toro Road and the San Diego (5) Freeway, has suffered in recent years, though not because of The Library, tenants say. Limited access and vacant stores that draw transients are bigger problems.
Work to widen El Toro Road is expected to improve the access situation. And with The Library closed, the center’s owner, Red Mountain Retail Group, hopes to spark new business interest.
“It drove tenants away and made it difficult for us to entice new tenants to come,” said Eric Nelson, director of the retail group. “Most tenants don’t want to come into a center adjacent to an adult-use club – something that has questionable moral issues.”
The group has submitted plans to the city to give the 6-acre center a face-lift with more square footage. Plans include Craftsman-style architecture, wider walkways, and fresh landscaping and lighting.
The group is in final negotiations with regional and national tenants, Nelson said.
“That will be the first reflection of things to come,” Mark Pulone, assistant city manager, said. “We’re optimistic the new center will have a look that extends through El Toro Road. We highly encourage it.”
Some remaining shop owners look forward to its transformation.
Susan Bohrer, co-owner of Cycle City, has had her family-owned business there for eight years.
“I’ve got great exposure from the freeway, and I’ve got a reputation here,” she said. “Hopefully when the road is better, people can get back in. Improvements to the center will make us look better and bring more business.”
Bailey is not bitter about the city’s decision, but he is sad to lose his business.
“This was my home,” he said. “I’d wake up and come here.
“For a lot of people, this is where they made their income. This isn’t a career place, it’s a steppingstone to make other advances in life.”
Contact the writer: (949) 454-7307 or eritchie@ocregister.com
