The Village Gate, the barnlike Greenwich Village nightclub where great comics and jazzmen held court for decades, has closed.
But impresario Art D'Lugoff, who made "the Gate" a Village scene for 37 years is already looking ahead to his next gig."I've already passed my mourning period," said D'Lugoff, who, among other distinctions, claims the dubious honor of having turned down a young Bob Dylan for a singing spot on his stage.
The club's fate was sealed last week when Chemical Bank obtained the building as a result of foreclosure.
The bank sought to obtain the keys to deal with vandalism and homeless people living in the building, where musicians from Miles Davis to Pete Seeger to Chuck Berry once performed and where the comedians Woody Allen and Mort Sahl once told jokes.
D'Lugoff said he was now scouting locations and raising money for his new inspiration, a national jazz museum and hall of fame.