Birmingham View News Portal

Developers of the BJCC entertainment district announced today that American Idol(R) winner Ruben Studdard has finalized an agreement to open a club. And they are working on a similar deal with Taylor Hicks, another Birmingham American Idol(R) winner.

With a smile on his face, BJCC Executive Director Jack Fields read the announcement from Memphis-based Performa Entertainment to his Board of Directors during their meeting.

The Velvet Teddy Bear’s club is to be called “Ruben’s Club 205,” an obvious reference to the Birmingham area code that was emblazoned on the over-sized sports shirts he wore during his run on American Idol.

The club “will offer the kind of soulful music that he is known for,” Fields said. He also said Taylor Hicks’ representatives will meet with Performa on Friday to work out a deal for his own club.

“It will be wonderful to have both Ruben and Taylor in the district. It is part of Performa’s plan to have tenants who reflect the history, culture and music of Birmingham,” Fields said. “Tenants like that will make the district distinctive, something you can’t find any other place. That’s what will draw visitors.

Performa CEO John Elkington, who didn’t attend the meeting, said at another gathering in June that his goal is not to re-create Beale Street’s attractions, but to create a uniquely Birmingham venue. The yet-unnamed entertainment district will recruit tenants who reflect the home-grown culture and talent that is obvious from the number of Idol winners and runners-up from Birmingham, and its signature restaurants, he said.

Fields said Elkington and other Performa principals are working to recruit three classes of tenants to the BJCC district: entertainment, restaurants and retail, with a focus on Birmingham-based names whenever possible. Fields — who says he talks to the Performa principals several times a day — said they would come themselves to the Board’s September meeting with more announcements and in-depth updates on the district’s recruits.

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