The Odyssey’s new owner-operator confirms that the nightclub will reopen at its new Hastings Street location once renovations are complete.
“There’s no turning back at this point,” Bijan Ahmadian says. “It’s a go.”
On March 16 the city of Vancouver issued a building permit for the Odyssey’s new space at 686 W Hastings St near Granville, Ahmadian says.
“The renovations have begun,” he says. “We are building a stage, building a shower, and we are building a new bar [and] seating areas based on some market research to see what kind of look and feel people wanted to see in the new Odyssey. The space will have a very unifying theme that creates a sense of LGBTQ community.”
Ahmadian says he won’t be able to announce an opening date until the renovations are complete.
“The first part of the renovation is demolition and you don’t know what you will find,” he says. “First we will demolish the space and gut it to see what can be salvaged and what has to be replaced, and that determines the timeline. So once the demolition has ended we will have a better sense of the scope of renovations and set [an] opening date accordingly.”
The Odyssey closed its original Howe Street location in 2010 to make way for supportive housing for HIV-positive people.
The new 5,000-square-foot location will offer familiar amenities, including a “prominent dancefloor shower” for male go-go dancers and a performance space to support LGBT talent.
For more updates check the Odyssey Bar Facebook page.
Editor’s note: This article was corrected to clarify the dancefloor shower feature.
Why you can trust Xtra
