Teen Dance Club Proposed for Former Gateway Building

A teen dance club may be coming to the city. 

The Common Council and its Finance Committee review a proposal tonight for the " "Lights Teen Club," which would be located in the former Muskego Gateway building at the corner of Tans Drive and Racine Avenue. Owners of the proposed club need committee and council members to approve a Class B dance hall license for the club.  

Previously, the Gateway building housed a bar, restaurant, banquet facilities, and indoor courts for basketball and volleyball; the bar closed.  The building was first constructed as a movie theatre, which also closed after only a few years of operation.

The club would provide "a huge dance area with lights and lasers, a bar area that of course would only serve non-alcoholic beverages, and another gathering room that teens could hang out in," club owner Edmund Stawski said. 

Stawski's family broke into the club business about 20 years ago with a club near the airport. He said having a teenager made him realize teens need a place to go. Stawski said it also made him think, "Maybe it's time to give this a shot again."

Teens 14 to 18 years old would be invited to the club, which would also include a video game room, variety of soft drinks, including 10 different types of soda, and "polar shock" machines, which serve frosty non-alcoholic beverages, according to Stawski.

The Finance Committee will consider the proposal first during its meeting tonight at 5:45 p.m. in City Hall. The Common Council, which may also take up the proposal, follows with a meeting at 6 p.m.