By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
FINANCIAL DISTRICT — The Pussycat Lounge, the 41-year-old topless bar on Greenwich Street that shuttered last year, plans to reopen after renovations, the State Liquor Authority said this week.
Owner Robert Kremer recently applied to renew his liquor license and told the state he would reopen the lounge once he fixes up the building, the SLA said. In the meantime, he turned his original license over to the SLA for safekeeping, authority spokesman Bill Crowley said.
The city shut down the Pussycat Lounge in October, declaring the 200-year-old building at 96 Greenwich St. unsafe to occupy. In November, the city allowed a contractor inside to start making repairs.
Kremer told New York magazine in January that he planned to repair the building but was not sure whether he would reopen the Pussycat Lounge, because business has dropped since 9/11.
Before the building began deteriorating, Kremer hoped to open a steak house called The Hamilton Room above the lounge last fall, according to the website.
Kremer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The strip of Greenwich Street south of the World Trade Center site was once home to a row of seedy shops and strip joints, but the neighborhood is now better known for its new hotels. One of the last holdouts is Thunder Lingerie and More, a sex toy shop that advertises peep shows and sits next to the Pussycat Lounge.
On Wednesday night, Community Board 1’s Financial District Committee decided not to oppose the renewal of the Pussycat Lounge’s liquor license.
"On the whole, they’ve…been a good neighbor," said Ro Sheffe, chairman of the committee. "They’ve caused very few problems."
