An all-nude male strip club that was involved in a feud with the city of North Miami Beach says their fight is over.
Swinging Richards packed up and headed north to a new location on Southwest 2nd Street in Pompano Beach about a month ago. The gay strip club left its old spot at Biscayne Boulevard and 172nd Street because of discrimination in North Miami Beach, general manager Roman Dickerson said.
"We left North Miami Beach because we felt like that we were not really wanted there,” Dickerson said. “There were always ongoing issues and we felt there was a chilling effect that we couldn't overcome."
Dickerson said the club’s owner felt that Pompano Beach would be more fair to their establishment than North Miami Beach.
Dickerson said the battle with North Miami Beach city officials lasted almost two years.
"Just instances that kept happening through the time we were there. Notices being put on the door, problems with our signage, just always ongoing issues,” he said.
One of those issues concerned a city ordinance prohibiting alcohol and nudity in strip clubs. Representatives for Swinging Richards said that was only being enforced at their club.
"I think we felt that it was an old ordinance that was never really practiced and was particularly singled out in our situation,” Dickerson said.
City attorney Darcee Siegel told NBC 6 Tuesday night that the nearly 25-year-old ordinance had been changed recently, but could not say how. NBC 6 made a public records request to the city for the information, but was told it would not be available until Wednesday.
The club had brought a discrimination lawsuit against the city, but has dropped it since making the move to Pompano Beach.
