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City will be one Club More less, Owners of the downtown night spot say a key issue in the closing was the city's decision to deny patrons access to a parking lot. By CHRISTINA HEADRICK © St. Petersburg Times, published September 8, 2001 CLEARWATER -- Ted Henderson, one of the owners of Club More, sat in his modest office this week and drew green X's on a large calendar on the wall, as he canceled shows booked through November at the funky downtown venue. "We provided culture to the area," Henderson said. "I'm very disappointed." Club More, one of the few businesses that drew people downtown at night, is closing after a final concert tonight, with local bands the Flapcats, Sparky's Nightmare and the Facials, according to the owners of the club at 703 Franklin St. The closure marks the end of a four-year run that brought artists to town such as singer-songwriters Jimmy LaFave and Grammy winner Dave Alvin; the Iguanas with their mix of Tex-Mex, rock & R&B; the rockabilly of the Cigar Store Indians; jazz flutist Herbie Mann and former Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. Parking is the problem that prompted the closure, Henderson said. Club More had depended on the use of a free, grass parking lot owned by the city. In January, the club's owners checked with the city and believed that they had confirmation the lot would continue to be available for parking, even though the city might eventually turn it into a paved lot with meters. So this summer, the club invested about $75,000 in a new kitchen and a renovated front lounge, Henderson said. The club's owners hoped selling food would help boost revenues, which varied widely with crowds that could range from three dozen to more than 500. But in August, city officials surprised Club More by announcing they would be ending the use of the grass lot for parking after Sept. 15, Henderson said. That irritated the club's property owner, Bob Williams, who felt the city was creating an "unfriendly business climate." To make matters worse, the city put up no-parking signs on Aug. 31, and police began enforcing the new rule before the promised date. "We don't think this is a good place to support small businesses," Williams said. "We regard Clearwater as a dead city, and there's not a lot of point in investing here." Assistant City Manager Garry Brumback says he thinks the situation is unfortunate, but he emphasized that the city values Club More very much. "We were very willing to work with them," Brumback said. Brumback said Clearwater had to stop allowing the lot to be used for parking, because it did not comply with city codes requiring parking lots be paved, landscaped and have appropriate drainage. To make up for the loss of the lot, Brumback said, the city offered Club More patrons the free use of its municipal garage a block away. People trekking to Ybor City bars walk farther. The city also suggested the club's owners could try to lease parking spaces in a next-door St. Petersburg Times lot, but the club never worked out a deal. One other option, Brumback said, was for the club to come up with a proposal to pave the city's lot. Club More's owners didn't take advantage of any of the city's offers, Brumback said. "What more could we have done?" he asked. Flash Gordon Williamson, another of Club More's owners and its founder, said that none of the options was feasible. People don't want to park in a garage and walk a block, he said, and paving the city's lot could have cost as much as $125,000. The club didn't have the money. Williamson said he was really bummed Club More was closing. He got the idea for the club in the 1980s, because he liked to hold parties in his workshop for his GreenBenches & More furniture line. He hooked up with Henderson, then Williams' company stepped in and invested in their project. Williamson envisioned the club would pay homage to all kinds of live music, including jazz, rock, funk, blues, punk, folk and world music. Club More booked old groups still on the concert trail, acts with small cult followings, up-and-coming talent and a few bigger names. The club was one of only a few such venues in the Tampa Bay area, said WMNF-FM 88.5 program director Randy Wynne, who has worked with Club More to host 10 benefit concerts there. "We have a very small number of clubs that present quality live entertainment," said Wynne, who said it would be a shame to see the club closed. "That was just about it in that area." |