Press release:
Local entrepreneur Tim Walton, has decided to pull the plug on bringing a teen nightclub to Batavia after many hurdles and a bigger opportunity.
Walton had plans to turn the former Powerhouse Gym into a 7,500-square-foot venue that would cater toward the under-21 crowd, bringing them dances, parties and other events to keep them out of trouble.
The process had been delayed several times by the city due to codes that had to be met.
"We installed a sprinkler system, then needed another entrance, so we made that, then needed this and that, and things just kept adding up," Walton said.
Despite the setbacks, Walton said that the main reason for pulling the plug was due to bigger opportunities that were presented to him.
Walton recently took over as marketing and events director at LUX Nightclub in Buffalo.
"I got an offer that I couldn't turn down," Walton said. "It's the largest nightclub in the area so it's a great opportunity to do what I love to do."
The building at 624 E. Main St, which Walton had leased for a little over a year, has been put back up for lease by building owner Ken Mistler and Walton still has hopes to see something similar in there.
"It's a great wide-open structure that would be a great business opportunity for the right person, and I'd even be willing to help promote it if something were to come about in there," Walton said.
Although the club is no longer in the works, Walton still hasn't given up on bringing quality entertainment to the area.
"It's something that people enjoy and it's something I have the experience to bring to the city," he said.
Currently, he has scheduled for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson to make an appearance at City Slickers. The appearance will be headlined by Johnson's cousin, national recording artist YB the Rockstar (Ya Boy) and Batavia native DJ Macy Paradise. The event is set for Dec. 21. That event is sponsored by IR Systems DirecTV and The Batavian.
