SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- With the drop of a banner, the Rock Church replaced the old sign of the Body Shop Strip Club purchased by the church.
The church says they’re unsure what they’ll do with the building, but Thursday, they made it clear it’s no longer a strip club.
It was quite the presentation, dozens of people, a stage and a sound system. The announcement the church made yesterday officially unveiled Thursday.
RELATED: Rock Church buys former strip club in Midway District
With Pastor Miles McPherson leading the charge, a Rock Church banner draped over the sign of the former strip club. “I’m very excited for what this won’t be, and how we can help the girls moving forward,” McPherson said. The church and several investors brought the club and its license for $1.2 million.
Councilmember Lorie Zapf said the move is the beginning of a new future for the Midway with a vision of parks, families and a new welcoming look. “Midway is no longer going to be the red light district of yesteryear.”
The problem with the plan, however, is the building sits just feet away from another strip club. “They started harassing me in April, I was called about 15 times by their broker,” said Kathleen Morgan, who owns Les Girls Theater.
“It’s easy to stigmatize this type of business. But we don’t even have male bouncers, we don’t even serve alcohol, we’re old school burlesque,” Morgan said.
On stage Thursday, was a pledge to take over Morgan’s place. “I’m hoping that they can acquire the property next door. Once the Midway plan is approved, they’ll be able to plan for the future of what’s allowed here by the zoning,” Zapf said.
Morgan says investors are trying to driver her out. The church says they aren’t involved in that. “That’s something that will have to take its own course, we’re not necessarily pushing that,” said McPherson.
Morgan also says the business has been vandalized recently, adding if she sells, it won’t be to the church. “In 50 years we’ve never had this type of vandalism, we’ve never had these types of issues. I will never sell the property to the Rock Church.”
