One very interesting building in Ybor City is the W. T. Grant Co. building located at 1507 E 7^th Ave. The W.T. Grant Co. started in 1906 and were famous as a 25-cent store. Its biggest completion was Kresge Kmart.  W. T. Grant’s bankruptcy in 1976, was the then-second biggest in US history. The building then fell into very hard times. In the early 1990’s a group purchased the building. The main designer was River Jude Phoenix, American actor, musician, and activist. River wanted to design his Ultimate Club.  Here is where it starts to get very interesting. River wanted the 1^st floor to be completely open with no post to hold up the second floor. The building was gutted and only saved the 4 outside walls. The iron posts that were inside holding up the second floor, were saved and were used outside to hold up the balcony Infront. Inside, the side walls were doubled in side to cut down the sound and to hide the iron beams that went up to the top of the 2^nd floor. The roof of the building was then built like an arch. Coming down from the new arch roof were beams to hold the 2^nd floor up.  The ends of the arch roof were all glass to let light in (now painted over) . In the middle of the 2^nd floor is a large opening so you can see the dance floor and stage below. This opening is all glassed in and even has drapes that can be lowered so you cannot see the VIPs on the 2^nd floor.  On the mezzanine level is the DJ booth and green room. River designed the green room with its own restroom and a separate extra private VIP room. From this level there are also a private stairs to the alley outside. This way tour buses could park out side and the stars could walk right onto stage.  When River opened there was a steak house restaurant on the 2^nd floor with a kitchen on the 1^st floor. The light thru the windows filled the room all day and spilled down to the 1^st floor.  Toward the front was a spiral stair that went to the 1 ½ floors. These stairs were nicknamed the “The Stairway To Heaven.” The stairs were soon removed when it was discovered that cocktails, high heels and spiral stairs just didn’t mix. LMAO The stairs were rescued and today are in the courtyard of a home in Ybor City. In the early 2000’s a young girl was reaching for beads from the balcony during a parade and fell to her death. She had liquor in her system and was a minor. The club closed.  In 2008 The Honey Pot turned this space into a World Class LGBT Dance Club. Many Stars performed here including Andy Bell.  That hot summer July night of GaYBOR Days Concert the owner D. Stephen and Andy met. Later were married. Recently vacated due to covid. It will be fun to see what new memories will be created in this historic and memorable space, rich with history and love.