So Whatever Happened to Exhale on Broadway?
Last winter there was an effort by never identified parties represented by restaurant and club designer David Ledbetter to open a restaurant? club? in a former dealership building at NW 15 and Broadway on the edge of Heritage Hills. The application to the city’s planning commission and board of adjustment called the establishment “Exhale,” and the plans included a layout that was first published here on OKC Central and was compared by readers to a floor plan commonly used by strip clubs and hip-hop clubs (Ledbetter incorrectly claimed to the Board of Adjustment I made such claims).
Heritage Hills mobilized. The Board of Adjustment learned the Exhale operators had not, as claimed, provided advance notice of their variance request on parking requirements for the site. The Board of Adjustment revoked their prior approval of the variance, and in February the application was yanked. The operators, who never identified themselves, made it clear on this site they were none too happy about the coverage, but never accepted my invitation to call and discuss their project.
Two things have since transpired.
First – A new “for lease” sign is up, and the broker is respected long time resident Chuck Wiggin.
Second – A longtime club space at the Will Rogers Shopping Center at NW 34 and Portland reopened as … wait for it … Exhale. Is it the same Exhale? I sent a couple of messages to their Facebook account, but never got a response. So I’ll include a link to that page, let you look at photos, promotional posters for the club, and decide how that matches up with the floor plans first posted on OKC Central.
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Comments
Unfortunately, I live within a few blocks of Will Rogers Park Plaza shopping center. The only places left are the cigarette mall, McSalty’s Pizza, and a few clubs. Everything else is vacant. This property is a drain on the area, but there are some bright spots: Will Rogers Park, Variety Care new headquarters, Skyline Neighborhood, and Melon Bicycles.
The shopping center is owned by Charles Shadid. Any relationship to Councilman Shadid?
Steve, thanks for bringing this situation to light and keeping abreast of developments. If it looks like a duck its a duck. I believe you and the posters to the original story were quite correct. This was a use that was totally unfit for the original location. Any club that operates at the Portland location is at best a dive and at worst a dump. That location has for decades been infested with the vermin/bottom feeders of the club scene.