A longtime Gayborhood bathhouse is set to reopen next month, and backers are promising major changes.
The former Club Body Center, 1220 Chancellor St., will open its doors as Club Philadelphia May 17.
CBC has been closed since a fire in August.
The men’s bathhouse had been in operation since 1975 and moved from 13th Street to Chancellor in 1995. The building previously served as Back Street Baths from 1981-86 and then the Chancellor Athletic Club before CBC took over.
Chris Srnicek, who plans to buy the business, said the club was originally called Club Philadelphia.
“It was called Club Philadelphia back in the day and it was changed to Club Body Center, but that doesn’t really mean anything,” he said. “It doesn’t have a city name, like Club Dallas or Club Houston. So I wanted to bring that back.”
The physical upgrades to the building cost about $250,000, Srnicek said.
He said he put in about $100,000 of his own money as he awaits the final insurance settlement.
The property got a new roof, new plumbing and electrical wiring.
“A lot of it was stuff clients won’t see nor could they care less about it because it won’t affect their visit,” Srnicek said.
There were, however, changes that visitors will notice.
Each room was outfitted with new vinyl mattresses and private lockers. Clients can bring their own locks to store valuables and the lockers will be equipped with a USB-charging station for cell phones.
Srnicek said the lockers seek to cut down on the thefts that had plagued the business.
A new dungeon and new washrooms were installed in the basement, as well as a private shower and heated floors. There is a new performance stage where the former laundry room was located that Srnicek said can be used by models and porn stars for performances.
The entire property was also freshly painted.
The business is currently owned by three men: Jack Campbell owns 50 percent, but, diagnosed with dementia, he lives in San Francisco with his sister, and his brother-in-law, a retired accounting professor, has power of attorney over his affairs. The other half is split equally between Chuck Hart and the estate of Jim Lewandowski.
Srnicek expected to buy the company last fall but said the deal was delayed by the fire.
“I talked to the owners and said, ‘Let me get this open and, if the levels are similar to what they were before, I can see myself owning it before August.’ So the deal’s on ice right now but the people selling it have been very understanding.”
Some staff members have been retained but Srnicek also plans to bring on a number of new employees, all of whom, he said, will be trained in customer service.
“You will be greeted with a ‘hello’ and a smile and no one will be treated poorly,” Srnicek said, noting that he aims for the new club to have a completely different feel than CBC had. “We’d love to see the regulars come back, but there were also a lot of people who stopped coming to Club Body Center because it had a bad reputation — for theft, drugs, poor service. We want to welcome people back to take a look and give this a fresh start. We don’t want people to think Club Body Center has been renovated. Club Body Center is done. This is the new Club Philly. It’s not Club Body Center with fresh paint: It’s a whole new club with new owners and a new attitude.”