Seminude in the Fan?

It appears the “Museum District” is soon going to be broadening its entertainment options, according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch article penned by Kiran Krishnamurthy. The owner of a seminude club in Shockoe Bottom is planning to open a nightclub across from two museums frequented by children and their families. Sam Moore, owner of Club Velvet, has contracted […]

February 13, 2008; 10:57 AM • by FTRea

It appears the “Museum District” is soon going to be broadening its entertainment options, according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch article penned by Kiran Krishnamurthy.

The owner of a seminude club in Shockoe Bottom is planning to open a nightclub across from two museums frequented by children and their families.

Sam Moore, owner of Club Velvet, has contracted with a construction company for work on the former Julian’s Restaurant at 2617 W. Broad St., across from the Science Museum of Virginia and the Children’s Museum of Richmond.

A few months ago I noticed a renovation effort was underway at what had been Julian’s (second) location in that area. Curious about what would be opening up in a building that had long been vacant, I asked one of the workers about it. When I was told no one knew, it sounded odd.

Reading the RT-D article makes me think that now the word is out, there is a brouhaha on its way over this development. It also makes me think that Richmond’s laws defining “seminude” and regulating what states of undress are permitted within the city limits are both somewhat vague and more than a little amusing.

A city ordinance bans nudity, which is defined as “any state of dress less than seminude.”

The city defines “seminude” as a state of dress with “less than completely and opaquely covered pubic region, buttocks, or female breasts below a point immediately above the top of the areolae, excepting any portion of the cleavage of the female breast exhibited by … apparel provided the areolae are not exposed.”

There’s no doubt there’s a market in most cities for nightclubs that feature scantily clad women — seminude? — as waitresses or dancers. However, just as zoning laws prevent someone from opening a hog farm or constructing a 50 story building in any old neighborhood, it seems such an approach would prevent a nightclub in certain areas, too.

However, Science Museum, or not, in this case the somewhat gritty neighborhood in question seems to have few limitations on what sort of business can operate there now.

Click here to read the entire RT-D article.

February 13, 2008 10:57 AM 0