Three U. City sites considered for club

Talks between the University and several concert promoters to open an alcohol-free night club on the edge of campus this winter are slowly progressing, according to club co-owner Sean Agnew. Agnew said he and Tom Lussenhop, the University's top real estate official, are looking into Penn-owned facilities at 40th and Locust streets, 43rd and Chestnut streets and 42nd and Walnut streets. Lussenhop said yesterday that the University was in "fruitful discussions" with Agnew and his partners. Agnew also said he had not seen any of the sites being considered but that he and Lussenhop had made plans to visit those sites for the first time today or Friday. The alcohol-free venue, which was originally to be called Stalag 2000 but will now take on a different name, was initially slated to open in a privately owned warehouse leased by the University at 18 N. 40th Street by the end of last month. The decision to open the new club initially drew praise from student leaders, but when Penn reportedly broke off negotiations, students and patrons of Agnew's former club in University City bombarded Penn officials with requests that they reconsider. According to Agnew, just before a final agreement was reached, the University cut off negotiations because of fears that the club might bring criminal elements to University City. Lussenhop said that negotiations were simply stalled because of concerns with the warehouse site. One of the reasons behind the University's reluctance to follow through with the project was the fact that Agnew's former West Philadelphia music club -- located near 39th Street and Lancaster Avenue and called Stalag 13 -- was shut down by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections for not obtaining the proper licensing, Agnew said. And so, because of the controversy surrounding the Stalag name, the club's owners have decided not to call the new club Stalag 2000, as was their original intention. "We decided to change the name just in case anyone does have any beefs with the old Stalag," Agnew said. "I think we're going to do that just to make it easier for everyone." Agnew and his partners, Tony Croasdale and Andrew Martini, are considering asking some of their most devoted patrons to submit ideas for a new name over the next few weeks via e-mail, Agnew said. And the club will probably open sometime in late December or early January, according to Agnew. Right now, the University is in the process of gathering information on the feasibility of the three sites under consideration, he added. "They're currently finding out the details on zoning for the new [club]," Agnew said. Once that work is done, Agnew said the plan must go through the University's own internal proposal inspection.