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AUGUST 3. 2007
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Silverado's Secrets
Owners discuss another loss for Stark Street's
gay district
DAVIS
by Julie Sabatier
he hoys over at Silverado are being awfully
coy about their future plans. The 25-year-
old nay bar’s co-owners, Tom Breazeale and
Donald Sexton, have come up with four
clues for curious customers to follow to the
watering hole’s covert new location. They’ll be dis­
pensing each clue on their Web site and at the bar’s
current home in the Continental Building at
Southwest 12th Avenue and Stark Street. The
names of folks with correct answers will be tossed
into a hat, and one lucky winner will be chosen at
random to receive the grand prize: a diamond ring
worth $1,795.
It’s not all fun and games over at Silverado,
however. Breazeale and Sexton are mired in a dis­
pute with the building’s new owners, Gerding
Scandals is still going strong in its new Stark
Edlen Development. Gerding Edlen also owns
Street location. The Boxxes/Brig/Red Cap com­
property on the burgeoning waterfront, on several
pound and the Eagle PDX also continue to thrive,
blocks along West Burnside Street and in many
other locations. The development company
perspective on the situation with Silverado’s lease.
acquired-the Continental Building, which used to
“I’ve got a tenant holding over without permis­
be home to the Club Portland bathhouse, earlier
sion,” he said. “The tenant has disputed that, and
this year from its former owner, Richard Lawson.
we’re walking down that road together—not
Club Portland closed shop June 17.
necessarily arm in arm, but together."
While Gerding Edlen maintains that
Sexton says he and Breazeale will “play nice”
Silverado’s lease has expired and was not renewed,
with Gerding Edlen, as long as the developers treat
Sexton tells a different story.
them with respect. His main beef isn’t with them;
“Unfortunately for them, the Silverado had
it’s with Lawson. Sexton says Lawson kept the sale
a five-year extension on our lease,” he said,
of the Continental Building a secret from his long­
explaining that 10 years ago, he and Breazeale gave
time tenants up until the day of the sale.
Lawson $50,000 to put in a new fire sprinkler
“Richard Lawson is a weasel. I can tell you that
system in exchange for a 15-year extension on
Mr. Lawson has not heard the last of the Silverado.
Silverado’s lease.
I wouldn’t get too comfortable if 1 were Dick
Sexton and Breazeale’s have met with manag­ Lawson sitting on my ill-gotten gains,” Sexton said,
ing principal Mark Edlen at Gerding Edlen, but
intimating that he and Breazeale intend to sue (for
these days the two sides mostly communicate
what, he didn’t exactly say).
through their lawyers.
Lawson refused to return repeated calls request­
In a summary judgment hearing July 21,
ing comment.
Gerding Edlen lawyer Gil Parker failed to demon­
The Stark Street area, the closest thing Portland
strate that there are no issues of fact that warrant
has to a “gayborhood,” has been rapidly shifting dur­
a trial. The case is scheduled for trial later this year,
ing the past few months. With the addition of
according to Parker. He said his clients are not
upscale businesses like Ace Hotel and Living Room
pursuing an eviction procedure at this time.
Theaters, many of the city’s most established gay bars
Although Sexton says he and his partner have
are looking for greener pastures. Karl Wilgus, owner
already spent upward of $18,000 on legal fees, the
of the Eagle at 1300 W. Bumside St., opened a new
pair don’t intend to keep their business in the
nightclub called Casey’s in Old Town.
Continental Building and might be out before
“Stark Street, unfortunately, is dying as the gay
the trial begins.
community,” said Sexton. “(Developers] don’t want
“We have found another place, but they’re not
it to be the gay part of Portland anymore, and it’s
going to just kick the Silverado around,” said
not going to be because they’re buying it up.”
Sexton. He and Breazeale closed a deal on the new
Edlen says his company is still weighing the
location Aug. 1.
options to decide what to do with the Continental
Sexton says he feels like David, and he’s cast
Building, which has long been a sort of landmark
Gerding Edlen as his Goliath. He says he detected
on Stark Street.
arrogance and a distinctly homophobic attitude
“One option we have is to do a historic reno­
from Mark Edlen in their last meeting three
vation. The other option we have is to take the
months ago.
building down and build something new in its
Edlen had this to say in response to Sexton’s
place,” said Edlen. “We want to see a very active
comments: “That’s very disappointing, and I have
downstairs retail that’s very transparent. We’re all
no interest in getting into that kind of a back and
about trying to make it pedestrian-friendly and
forth. I think it’s counterproductive for everybody.
activate the neighborhood."
We have a number of people within our organiza­
As far as where to look for the Silverado’s new
tion who are members of the gay community, so I
downtown location, here’s the first cryptic clue
don’t think that’s the case at all."
from its owners: “Maybe old, certainly not new.
Within its midst, a faithful few.” ©
Edlen’s tone was measured as he explained his
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