Peggy Denby raises her head again to oppose opening of new Midtown club

Gay promoter Chris Coleman attempted to hold parties at the venue during last year’s Atlanta Pride fest, but at the last minute he was told the club did not have a liquor license, according to Project Q Atlanta.

Michael Gidewon, a king among club owners, also hoped to have a Friday gay night at Club Reign. Gidewon was also the man behind the success of Vision — a club that catered to a largely black clientele — on Crescent Avenue which was also criticized by Denby and the Midtown Ponce Security Alliance.

Upset that it appears Club Reign is now set to open, Denby, director of the Midtown Ponce Security Alliance is, of course, “disappointed.”

“I’m disappointed. Nobody wants it. It’s going to cause problems and we’ll just have to deal with it,” she told Midtown Patch.

No surprise there. Denby doesn’t seem to like much of anything about the neighborhood she lives in that is known for its nightlife and diversity and that she surely was well aware of existed when she decided to move into Midtown.

Of course, Denby is not the only one resistant to another large club opening on Peachtree. Also vocally opposing the opening of Club Reign is Midtown resident Steve Brodie, who is, yes, gay.

Some may remember Brodie when he made a run for the Atlanta City Council District 6 seat in 2005 in an attempt to unseat Anne Fauver, a lesbian. He lost by a razor-thin margin of less than 10 votes. In 2009, Brodie tried again for a council seat. He didn’t do nearly as well that year, finishing fourth. This was the year Alex Wan won the election, making him the first openly gay man to win a seat on the Atlanta Council.

Brodie did succeed in filing a lawsuit “to challenge the city planning department’s approval for [Club Reigns] liquor license,” Wenk reported.

“I’m disappointed that the city and the state have not listened to the issues and concerns of the neighborhood,” Brodie told Midtown Patch.

We’re curious to see how this all plays out.