Today, a reader reached out and gave us some of the more surprising news we’ve heard in recent months. The Forum, that old movie palace at 2208 Market St. that’s somehow still been showing nudie films for the last however many years, that venue that attempted to expand its building and its services until being denied by a judge last year, that business that nearby residents at the Murano have hoped would just disappear since the day they moved in, has closed its doors.

Yup

The building

Three men were working on the site, but a language barrier precluded any of them from sharing with us exactly why the business closed or what was in store for the building moving forward. We don’t even know when the theater closed, but we did find a violation from late October, issued when they were apparently removing their first floor seating without permission. Is it possible that this place has been shut down for weeks and we’re the last to know? Suppose it could be.

Meanwhile, another smut palace nearby, Les Gals, an adult book store, video shop, and peep show emporium, has likewise disappeared. This is clearly no coincidence, as both the Forum and the Les Gals buildings are owned by the same individual, “porn kingpin” Anthony Trombetta.

In the past

Now maybe someone will rent the Hoagie City space

Did something happen to Trombetta? Will there be new and more family friendly businesses coming to these locations, or is this merely the calm before a huge porn storm on the horizon? Has anyone in the area heard any news one way or the other about these space?

And as an aside, just how much power washing would be necessary before you’d be willing to rent either commercial space?