After nearly three years on the market, the Phantasy Cleveland (which includes The Chamber nightclub) has been purchased by an unidentified buyer as first reported on Friday. A real estate source told NEOtrans‘s Ken Prendergast that the buyer will likely be ending the property’s run as a performing arts venue and will remove its three bars in place of residential, offices and additional parking.
This move brings more developmental activity to Detroit Avenue’s east end, joining the new 83 luxury townhouses in the Rockport Square development, and the future high-end townhomes coming by the end of 2018 on Fry Avenue, just north of Detroit, called the Mews At Rockport.
North Coast College (previously known as Virginia Marti College) had previously shown interest in purchasing the Phantasy Cleveland property, but the owner was unwilling to go lower on asking price. Instead, the college acquired the old Vedda Printing building just down the street.
Derf Backderf, author of the graphic-novel turned feature film My Friend Dahmer was one of many who took to Facebook to express sadness over the 40-year-old Phantasy Cleveland’s recent selling.
No word yet on what will be the fate of the pirate ship-turned sound booth in the Phantasy (someone please give it to the Rock Hall), or when the site will officially close to make way for the new construction.This article appears in Jul 11-17, 2018.
The Vedda Printing building was used as the Obama HQ for Lakewood in 2008, and the old Maria’s Roman Room was used for the same purpose in 2012. In light of what has happened since, historical plaques are probably in order. They were both abandoned dumps, before and after each of those two election campaigns, and both of them probably need a lot of work
I will never forget the day after the ’08 election. Went outside the Vedda building for a smoke, with a couple of co-workers . Total strangers shook our hands and hugged us and thanked us. Seems like a hundred years ago.
I appreciate BJ Colangelo and Cleveland Scene taking time to report on the sale of the Phantasy complex in Lakewood. However, as both a long-time reader of Cleveland Scene and a member of Cleveland’s goth community, I feel a need to take issue with the negative and stereotypical characterization of Cleveland’s goth community implied by this article’s title.
It is extremely short-sighted to insinuate that we are a community prone to, “cry more than usual.” Cleveland’s goth community are comprised of a diverse collection of people who make positive contributions daily to the collective enrichment of Northeast Ohio’s arts, economy and society.
The Chamber and The Phantasy Nite Club provide us (and everyone else, for that matter) with safe, welcoming and supportive environments in which to socialize and enjoy great music that is not regularly offered anywhere else in the greater Cleveland area. In a world set on pursuing the basic and homogenized, it is sad to witness the end of the unique and independent.
That is something to cry about.
“Cry more than usual”? Seriously? Obviously, you don’t know any Goths. If you did, you’d know that most are actually happy.
Of course the closing of a historic site will make them upset. Upset over losing a club that they’ve come to know as a second home. A place where they can meet others, like themselves, that share a common interest in alternative music.
One other thing that makes them upset: A writer’s piss poor choice of an article title.
Don’t blame writers for piss-poor headlines…they’re written by the page editor or the copy editor. Just blame the writer for the words…and for not knowing any Goths before she moved here from Chicago. Or, it appears, afterward..
firstly the cry thing… RUDE!! secondly, as a performer who played at this venue many many times NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! If i had nknown it was for sale, .. damn i just wish i would have known. i will always have a place for these stomping grounds. I’m gonna let Trent know too, he will be way bummed as well.
Do you guys hire ex-Breitbart employees to write your headlines?
“Set to cry more than usual”. Yet another ignorant person with their stereotypes. As someone who’s gone to the chamber nightclub for 10 years, Its sad to see some moron write something like this about a place who’s done nothing but welcome everyone and given people the chance to understand the subculture more. This is obviously written by a person who knows absolutely nothing about our music/community and has coffee at Starbucks in the morning with their delusional friends with their half witted philosophies on life. This person can jump off a cliff… That said, I am stunned the chamber is going to vanish. That place always got me through the worst in life. Good times and bad times, I was always there on Fridays and some Saturdays. I am deeply going to miss it. Thank you so much for the memories and introducing me to some of my best friends in life. My regular spot. My home away from home. Goodbye 🙁 ++
Before I begin, the writer of the headling of this article seems to be confusing Emo with Goth, so get your head out of your ass and don’t make smarmy comments about things you don’t know or understand. That said, I have to confess that I’ve never been one for hanging out at nightclubs, but The Chamber was special. I first went there when a viewer of mine (I used to host Cleveland CLassic Cinema) and I met and he asked if I’d like to go to the club with him. As I had never heard of the place before, I thought it would be some kind of S&M club and said I really wasn’t into that scene, but he told me it was a Goth club and I tried to beg off as I thought it’d be nothing but a bunch of people in black clothing, black nail polish and studded collars talking about how desperately unhappy they are while comapring all the ways they were cutting themselves (not to mention feeling that I was a bit too old for the scene – I didn’t want to be that older guy that hangs out with kids trying to be hip). My friend convinced me to go, however, and I discovered something I didn’t know – the Goth scene is very friendly, inclusive, and enjoyable and it was a pleasure to associate with the people who hung out at the club. It took a little while (maybe an hour or so) to take it all in and get used to the amazingly creative and imaginative way everyone dressed, but I nevertheless met many really nice, funny, wonderful people there, some of whom are my best friends to this day. I unfortunately came into the club at the beginning of its waning days, but it was always a pleasure to go there and talk to the people that hung out there. The Chamber will be missed.
I can’t believe the scene approving of this article! You of all papers should be inclusive and protective of a group of amazing people.
We that think outside the box are the ones that have and still support the magazine. This person who wrote the article should walk in the shoes of a community of inclusive loving friendly people before assuming they know anything about us!
Wow, the reaction has been pretty sensitive and defensive. Scene should be “Inclusive and protective of a group of amazing people” as the comment above states? It’s just a snarky headline, nothing more, and kind of funny as well. It isn’t a manifesto of hate and intolerance, rather, it plays on the stereotype of Goths as mopey and sad–said Goths should have more of a sense of humor about themselves. As a frequent Phantasy patron in the mid-90’s, I take no offense at all.
First of all, I’ve been in some ways or another ‘goth’ since the mid 80s when I first got into The Cure… And I want to apologize for the unfortunate tendency of my fellow black-hearts to be so easily and needlessly offended! As terribly disappointed and heartbroken as I am over the closing of such a unique and precious space, a place to enjoy getting stompy to an eclectic mix of the types of alternative music that unfortunately exist in no other venue in this MSA (metropolitan statistical area) of over 2,000,000 people …as tragic and sad and end-of-an-era as it may be to me, the choice of headline brought a genuine smile to my lips, and I that little bit of humor surrounding the facts made me laugh. In todays hyper-partisan and overly-sensitive times, it just seems like everyone is looking for some excuse or chance to be offended. Calm down people, it was a cute and playful bit of wordplay! Perfectly appropriate to the irreverence of our beloved alternative weekly The Scene (although that reminds me that I miss the Free Times as well) …but all things must end.
Cheers to the ending of a Cleveland cultural institution.
PS: And if you’re not aware, there are a metric ton of special events for the last month of operation, going out in august with a bang. All of the events are listed on their facebook page.
#BJColango You’re an ignorant, unprofessional journalist. “Cry more than usual”? I have never seen anyone crying at the Chamber or any Goth/ related events elsewhere.
To open your mind, let alone enjoy the beauty of “darkness”, of the otherworld- haunting melodies and vocals are obviously beyond your comprehension, yet that is no reason to insult those who choose a lifestyle to which the majority likely have a healthier mentality than yourself and most of the pill popping population. Depression does not discriminate among race or culture. Why should you?
It’s people like you that validate the need for an alternative, non judgemental atmosphere for anyone wanting avoid-people like you who assume to know the personality of someone by their appearance, style or culture.
Get a life.