Longtime Gayborhood locale 12th Air Command came under the direction of a new owner last month, and he plans to update the club’s look, feel and name beginning early next year.
Darryl DePiano became the official owner of the building, 254 S. 12th St., on Nov. 10, taking over for Richard McPeake, who owned the bar for 15 years.
DePiano, who is gay, has lived in the Gayborhood for about nine years and owned a number of other bars and clubs throughout the region, although this will be his first LGBT-focused project.
He said he was attracted to 12th Air because he wanted to breathe new life into the Gayborhood.
“I’ve been going out in this neighborhood for years and it just seems like nothing’s changed, it’s a lot of the same thing,” he said. “And then this opportunity arose and the deal was right, the economy was right and the real estate was right.”
McPeake, who has worked as a bar owner or manager for more than 30 years, opened 12th Air in 1995, before which the building was home to lesbian bar Hepburn’s.
McPeake decided 2010 was right for retirement, but said he enjoyed his time overseeing the Gayborhood venue.
“It was a pleasure for the last 15 years to work with the gay community in Philadelphia,” he said. “I think we have one of the most progressive gay communities in the country.”
DePiano said that while his venture will continue to cater to the LGBT community, it will not do so under the 12th Air moniker.
“What I tell everyone is that I bought a piece of property in the Gayborhood. I didn’t buy 12th Air — I have the legal rights to the name, but it’s not going to be 12th Air anymore. I bought the building and all of the potential that that building has.”
The club will operate as is until the end of the year, when DePiano plans to shut down for at least six weeks for renovations as he prepares to launch a “fresh, cutting-edge, up-to-date 2011 New York-style nightclub.”
DePiano said he will take full advantage of the club’s three levels and, put into a Gayborhood context, the finished product should resemble a mixture of Woody’s, Q, Knock and Tabu.
He said he plans to refurbish the deck area with a tiki-style atmosphere and to reopen the club’s restaurant. The club’s liquor license allows for outdoor café seating, which he hopes to install in warmer weather.
Further down the line, DePiano said the front of the building will get a complete facelift as he plans to open it up with large, floor-to-ceiling windows.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].