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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Bars / Two-Block Radius / News / Business More on the War Room: Owner Marcus Lalario on the Club's Future and Its Final Party

Posted by Eric Grandy on Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 11:19 AM

"Basically, November 30th was coming up, and we actually already had plans to rebrand the space," explains Lalario of the plans to shutter the War Room's doors. "It wasn't going to be a nightclub, it was going to be something different. December 1st was the deadline for those god-damned $60,000 sprinkler systems, our liquor license happened to be up, so we just figured, November 30th lets close the thing down."

"Once word leaked to real estate circles and other people, we started getting offers to buy the club, we're open to the idea, and we have a couple guys who have made offers to buy the club as is."

"I've had that space since i was 19, so there's a part of me that is gripping onto it, and a part of me that would love to let it go. I guess we'll see."

Asked if he thinks the odds are good of the club being bought and maintained as is, Lalario says, "If I'm a betting man, I would say so, but the way things are in this world who knows what'll happen.

"Either way, November 29th is our last public party, and everyone who's ever DJ'd or been through is going to come play. And it'll be a McGinn/Holmes fundraiser—thank god for McGinn—to help them cover campaign debts. Even on my last night, I can't make any money."

Club spokesperson Kerri Harrop agrees that chances are “pretty strong” that a buyer will step up to take over the club as is.

The War Room is dead, long live the War Room? More news as this develops.

Comments (5) RSS

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A sprinkler system is not unreasonable to request in a space crammed with 300 people. That's the cost of doing business. Sounds like that was just one small factor, though.

Posted by pblake123 on November 11, 2009 at 3:15 PM

$60,000 for sprinkers ? As a small business owner myself the taxes alone are what is killing it for "us" to stay alive.

Posted by jallison on November 25, 2009 at 1:43 PM

$60,000 by Dec. 1st for sprinkers ? F-that, I'd sell the bldg too. As a small business owner myself the taxes alone are making it harder for "us" to stay afloat.

Posted by jallison on November 25, 2009 at 1:46 PM

pblake123
keep you "Factor" crap for Bill O Riley
The city has been trying to run minor profit businesses out of business for the last couple of years and when the economy hit these pricks hit the pavement, the sprinkler scenario has taken many clubs down that monetary path of, do we? or don't we? and for a venue of 300, it almost always says "Don't"
what really surprises me is the lack luster attitude that our fellow seattleites have toward the ones of us that are doing the hard work of Baby sitting these assholes while they go out and drink (pblake123)
leave the sprinkler systems for the larger corperate venues that have them installed when they are being built, and stop harrassing small business and pblake123 take a hike you idiot!

Posted by PSSSSST on November 27, 2009 at 1:54 AM

$60k is a conservative estimate for that space, it's probably closer to $80k with and the forgotten costs & time being closed. Yes that is a BIG hit for small businesses and if YOU say "hey, they gotta pay if they wanna play", think of it like this: There is a new "seatbelt law". If you want to drive, you're going to have to shell-out $4k for the upgrade. Time to sell the car?

Posted by FromUnderCastleKookooInTacoma on November 27, 2009 at 3:07 PM