A national strip club corporation is putting the city of Central and its residents on notice that the game is on.

After spending millions of dollars on a large five-storefront building in historic Central City, RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc is appealing the decision by city leaders last month to deny an occupancy permit for Rick’s Cabaret to operate as a strip club.

And if the appeal is denied, the company said it is willing to sue on free expression grounds. 

This week, notices were posted around Central City that RCI plans to appeal a decision by the administrator of the city’s land development code to deny an occupancy permit for a sexually oriented business (SOB) at 130 Main Street.

That denial was based on a city ordinance that requires a 1,000-foot buffer between a SOB in the historic downtown and residences or gathering places, such as churches. St. Mary’s Catholic Church is just a block away and within 1,000 feet of where workers are currently remodeling the planned steakhouse and adult nightclub.

“We’re asking the board of adjustments to override the 1,000-foot restriction. If they do, then great. I don’t suspect they will,” said Eric Langan, president and CEO of RCI.

He said that, if the appeal is denied at the Aug. 6 Central City Council meeting, he will consider suing the city based on his First Amendment right to freedom of expression.

RCI would like to see that buffer reduced to 150 feet, which would make the proposed strip club legal in the eyes of the town. 

‘The monster under the bed’

The issue has divided the mountain town, which has had gambling for three decades but is on the precipice of allowing nudity on Main Street in an effort, supporters said, to keep afloat its struggling economy.

Some residents are afraid that RCI will go beyond nude dancing to eventually bring in peep shows, sexual encounters, and perhaps prostitution to the quaint downtown.

In response, Langan said, “They’re afraid of the monster under the bed.”

In an interview with The Denver Gazette this week, Langan added: “Once we open, they’re gonna look under the bed and there ain’t gonna be no monster.”

Langan invited anyone who is curious about Rick’s Cabaret to visit the adult nightclub with the same name in downtown Denver across from the Convention Center.

On Friday morning, Langan, who is a top contributor to a Gilpin County community Facebook page, wrote: “This is what we’re trying to bring to Central City?”

He posted a YouTube ad for the Rick’s Cabaret in Manhattan, New York.

On the highly-produced video, a woman’s husky voice over footage of men surrounded by beautiful women says that Rick’s is for men who have class and “want it all.”

Comments to the post were mixed.

“Folks here don’t want the change,” said one.

“If you don’t like it, don’t go,” said another and an “O hell yeah” from one.

Others were worried about drugs, objectification of women and the lack of law enforcement in a town that has no police department. 

One woman commented that preventing a business from entering the community because it might cause issues down the line seems unfair. 

That attitude is music to Langan’s ears.

He plans to bring nudity to downtown Central City — whether city council gives the okay or not, he said. 

“They may think they can affect me but the reality is it’s too much too little too late. They sold me the building!” he said. “They know what my company is. They know what we do. All of this shock and awe and surprise. It’s like you just now googled my company?”

‘A lonely place to be’

Normally, five council members regularly vote on town issues, but Mayor Jeremy Fey and council member Kara Tinucci recently recused themselves from voting on any measures that deal with the strip club.

Fey recused because he has had private business dealings with Langan and Tinucci removed herself because her husband worked for RCI in the past.

That leaves the important vote squarely on the shoulders of council members Todd Williams, Jeff Aiken and Marcia Enloe.

“It’s a lonely place to be,” admitted Williams.

Strip club dissenters have voiced their opinions at the last several Central City council meetings, but Williams suspects that there are plenty of silent residents in favor of bringing adult entertainment to historic downtown.

At last week’s bi-monthly meeting, Williams suggested that putting the divisive issue on the November ballot would give city council clear direction from the people they serve.

“A decision by vote would give us our marching orders and our ability to vote on whatever, and then it will give direction to the planning commission on how they are going to proceed,” said Williams.

Williams admitted that it may seem like he’s kicking the can down the road, but the RCI’s saga started in late 2022, when it bought 130 Main Street for $2.4 million.

“When it was sold (to RCI), we were under the impression it would be turned into a casino. We know what their business is. Has there been talk about it? Yes. But has it ever been in front of city council? No,” he said.

Williams said that since October 2022, when the city council voted in favor of selling the building to RCI, there have been only two other decisions involving Rick’s Cabaret and both of those were in favor of awarding it liquor licenses.

The SOB proposal caused an uproar. Some residents said they are worried about whether the strip club would lower their property values, the potential for increased crime rates and the possibility that a modern red light district will tarnish the city’s reputation for low-key mountain entertainment.

Some long time residents said they feel like they’ve been treated like rubes. They vowed not to allow RCI to come in and take over their small historic mountain town.

Supporters said it would revitalize the town. Some argued that, if RCI leaves, the town would “go downhill.” Others said the idea of a strip club doesn’t bother them, as long as it’s “not in the historic district.”

Mayor challenges critics to a boxing match 

This week, beleaguered Central City Mayor Jeremy Fey, who supports the SOB proposal, received confirmation that he had enough signatures to run for Gilpin County commissioner as an unaffiliated candidate this November.

What is unclear is whether, if he wins, he will resign as mayor. His term is up in Jan. 2026.

Two citizens have filed ethics complaints against him for a free trip he took, at Langan’s expense, to Texas last fall and for selling Langan a building in which he operates a small retail business.

Fey, who is the son of legendary Colorado concert promoter Barry Fey, challenged three of his harshest critics, including the mayor of Blackhawk and a fellow councilmember, to a boxing match at the Gilpin County Fair.

So far, he has had no takers.

Last month, he took 40 cream pies in the face for charity.

On Saturday, he’s offering himself up as a human charity sacrifice again — this time, hovering over a dunk tank.

What’s next?

Earlier this month, the Central City planning commission suggested moving SOBs to the industrial part of town, namely along Central City Parkway, a stretch of highway that serves as a shortcut to the town to and from Interstate 70.

That suggestion has yet to be discussed by the Central City Council.

Meanwhile, a $50,000 study commissioned by the Gilpin County commissioners on the impacts of SOBs to rural areas would be presented to the Central City Council as early as this November.

The subject has rarely been approached, and the effects to law enforcement and how much money strip clubs can bring in are being researched by Paradigm Public Affairs LLC.

Williams is what Langan refers to as the “wild card” of the three city councilmembers who will be voting on RCI’s appeal.

Williams noted that on Central City’s two downtown streets, some of the buildings sit empty. And he is worried about mom and pop shops’ ability to survive. 

“Clearly, the downtown area needs economic development that can drive foot traffic and create an environment where mom and pop business could make it,” Williams said. “This particular issue of SOB’s is what’s in front of us right now. Is it my whole hearted desire that Central City becomes the SOB capitol of Colorado? No. I don’t know if it is going to be an economic juggernaut for the city. But what we must decide as a city is if we want, a strip club on Main Street. ”