Oceanside (KGTV): The Main Attraction is getting ready for its last dance.
The popular topless bar, the last of its kind in the North County, was recently sold. Developers now plan to turn the land it sits on, as well as more than 5 acres around it, into a mixed-use housing project.
Papers filed with the City of Oceanside Planning Department show plans for a five story, 308-unit complex that also includes 4,000 square feet of street front retail stores and a six-story parking garage. Wood Partners and Lightfoot Planning Group filed the plans.
The land sits just west of the 5 freeway near the intersection of North Coast Highway and Costa Pacifica Way. A vacant lot covers most of the 5.3-acre parcel. A few abandoned warehouses and the strip club stand as the only buildings around.
"It is exciting," says Leslee Gaul, the CEO of Visit Oceanside. "It’s part of the renaissance in our community, and I think it’s a great location."
Gaul's office is right across the street from the topless bar. She works in the California Welcome Center. The Main Attraction is the first thing most visitors see when they get off the freeway in Oceanside.
Gaul says the club has been a good neighbor, but she's ready for the change.
"It’s been a low key, positive relationship for many years," she says. "But as things change and our community changes, this is part of that."
Homes within the complex will range from a 550 square foot studio to 1,550 square foot townhomes. The majority of the 308 units will be either one or two-bedroom apartments. Meanwhile, the plans from the developer say residents will have modern amenities, including "an indoor‐outdoor social lounge with pool access and catering kitchen, a fitness center, an artist center, bicycle room, and surfboard storage." There will also be a 5th‐floor deck with an ocean view.
Phone calls to the developer, the city and the topless bar weren't returned this week. The project still needs approval from the City of Oceanside. There's no word on when the club will close.
