136 Collins Ave. on Miami Beach will now be the home of Story Nightclub. The space that previously was home to Opium Garden, Prive and eventually Amnesia that opened up last year in late October 2011. The space has now been taken over by David Grutman of LIV nightclub fame.
Don’t expect Story to look like the nightclubs before it, however. When doors finally open in late December, patrons will notice the interior has been completed gutted and remodeled.
Two years ago the space was purchased by a group that included superstar DJ Bob Sinclar and they opened Amnesia. The group put a roof on the indoor/outdoor space to ensure the club could stay open, what with all the noise ordinance issues from past years. But the expense of putting a roof on the club probably cost them, as the interior design was not up to par with South Beach clubs like Mansion, LIV, SET and Bamboo. The wooden lattice on the upper deck and the Bacardi branding over each bar may work in some places around the world, but it felt out of place. The only redeeming quality was the superb soundsystem and video screens that dominated the venue.
So Amnesia quickly needed help, and began shopping itself for new investors. We heard rumors that the Opium Group was offered the space, now with a roof, but decided against it – been there, done that. But David Grutman of LIV nightclub fame, and his group of investors jumped in and took over Amnesia, programmed it for a while before shutting it down over the summer. The addition of Story will give Grutman his fourth nightclub in his growing empire joining LIV and Arkadia at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach and LIV Sun Life at Dolphins Stadium.
Story nightclub will be opening in late December. The interior has been gutted and a multi-million dollar renovation is near completion. Story will be holding more job fairs soon for everything from cocktail servers and VIP hosts to bartenders and bus persons.
Source: Miami.com
