From the building owner’s perspective, there’s plenty of time to work out a deal to save Chop Suey as a music venue said Scott Shapiro, owner since 2005 of the building that houses the Capitol Hill music venue and nightclub.
In February, the asking price for the business — not Shapiro’s building — had been $375,000, according to a listing on a real estate agent’s site found by CHS. The listing – for an “undisclosed bar and club on Capital Hill” – claimed Chop Suey grosses more than $903,000 annually. Capital, indeed.
In recent weeks, the asking price dropped to $99,950.
The agent did not return calls for comment.
Shapiro said the current tenant has “at least a few more years” left on its lease. The building, he said, already has a Class 1 hood, so a conversion to a restaurant would be eased, but that’s not necessarily what his investment company wants. While Shapiro said he’s not ruling out any prospective tenants, he’d like to see it remain a nightlife destination.
“We’d like to see it succeed and continue to use that space for music and things the community can enjoy,” he said.
If no buyer emerges, Shapiro said the standard commercial real-estate procedures would apply.
“If, for some reason, it doesn’t sell, we would re-lease it,” he said.
The 1937 building is just a hair more than 4,900 square feet. It sits on 5,250 square feet of land that current zoning would allow to host a 65-foot tall building. It’s across 14th Ave from the former Piecora’s where a six-story development is planned.
Shapiro helped create Melrose Market and has most recently been working on microhousing-type developments including this project on 12th Ave.
However, this isn’t yet another Capitol Hill moment where a cultural landmark must give way to development. Shapiro said he has no plans to do anything new with the building at this time.
It would be really nice if this were to become a full-time gay bar. Especially given that lower down Pike/Pine has become such a Bro-Fest. It would be a nice anchor to add to the Cuff, Pony, Madison Pub, and Diesel that have coalesced there at the top of the Hill.
Not to mention The Eagle, CC Attils, Neighbors, Purr, R Place, Club Z, the Lobby Bar. Yeah, we got a real shortage of gay bars in Capitol Hill (roll eyes).
Reading is FUNdamental.
I never said there was a shortage of gay bars. I said that since there was a small concentration of gay bars at the top of the Hill it would be a good anchor to add to that zone.
You can go back to your eyeroll now.
With only a few more years on lease and no options who would want to invest in it?
How noisy is this club at night? If it’s a problem, the tenants in the planned building across the street will not be happy. This possibility might make it difficult to sell the business, and the low price probably reflects this reality.
It’s not that loud; but it’s not a quiet intersection anyway. With or without that club, it won’t be quiet there.
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