The Gay 90's club downtown wanted to blare its show times on a big marquee, but the city told them it was too much for Hennepin Avenue.
Peter Hafiz, owner of the Gay 90's on 4th Street and Hennepin, planned to revamp their iconic sign and add a 30-foot marquee with electronic text announcing times for drag shows and other events.
The Gay 90's has been one of the city's most prominent gay bars since the 1970s. Formerly dubbed the Casablanca Lounge, it regularly hosts drag shows and dance events.
"I just wanted to fall in line with the avenue," Hafiz said of the $200,000 renovation. "This thing would have been just spectacular."
City staff told City Planning Commission members that adult businesses cannot have signs with changing text. They also advised that the proposed sign area was larger than allowed, and recommended approving a smaller proposal without changing text if the business agreed to a number of conditions.
One of those conditions, installing windows along Hennepin Ave. and 4th Street, especially baffled Hafiz. He said the building once had windows, but the city requested that they be removed because of sound concerns.
"They're just control freaks," Hafiz said. "They want to call the shots on everything."
The Planning Commission approved the staff recommendations. David Motzenbecker, president of the Planning Commission, said the city is merely asking the establishment to get up to code.
