Yes, there’s going to be a swingers club downtown in the old Fernando’s Hideaway building. And yes, or maybe, no, it’s going to have porn star Ron Jeremy’s name attached. City Commissioner Randy Leonard even just suggested that the city use the Made In Oregon sign to advertise the new club—although I think he may have been joking.
Here’s the club’s new leaseholder, Paul Smith, who used to be a part owner of the Ace Of Hearts swingers’ club in SE, he says. He now runs Pine Street Properties, which is leasing the space from owner John Beardsley, as reported yesterday. 
SMITH: Tough man to track down…
I eventually found Smith at the club, after heading all over Portland this morning, looking for him. Using information from the Secretary of State’s website about his company, I followed the addresses to a dead end mail box company opposite a trailer park in Lents, and a house in North Portland, where I left a note, seeking clarification from the tenants. Eventually one of the tenants came out and said, “we’re new here, nobody knows anything about such a business…”
PINE STREET PROPERTIES LLC: PLENTY OF DEAD ENDS…
Eventually, I swung by city hall (get it, swung) to see if any city commissioners had heard about the news. “It’s protected by the first amendment,” said Randy Leonard—just like the text on the Made In Oregon sign! Although perhaps I should have asked Leonard whether he plans to condemn the building or buy it using $500,000 in taxpayer money, just to stop millionaire porn stars like Ron Jeremy coming into Portland and acting like they own the place. But it never occurred to me. I’m an idiot.
So. There were a couple of contractors coming out of the club when I got there, and I tried to confirm the rumors with them. “I don’t know anything about it,” said one man with a large bunch of keys. His colleague said nothing. Instead, I tried talking to a few of the tenants in the buildings next door. “I’d heard something about it,” said one tenant. But nothing firm. Then, my phone rang. It was Brad Buckner, the Mercury‘s heroic receptionist office manager and hero, who’d got a call from Smith saying he’d heard I was “looking for him,” with a phone number to return the call. “You’ve not been married long enough to be going to swingers’ clubs,” said Buckner. Mwah mwah mwah.
“I can meet you out front of the club,” said Smith. Score! “But I can’t let you in, because it’s a live construction site in there.”
And so, I got the scoop. I should probably have just shown up first thing in the morning and knocked on the fucking door, but I’ll know better next time.
“It’s going to be called Club Sesso,” says Smith. “We’ve been in this business a long time, this is a new location.”
The average customer, Smith says, is 35, above average income, married, with above average education. Smith estimates there are 35,000 such people who engage in swinging within a 50 mile radius of Portland. The club will be members only, and private, with no sign outside advertising its nature.
“People seek us out,” says Smith, adding that the club is a “good neighbor, with no problems with drugs, fights, or prostitution.” “I’d challenge any other club owner to say that,” he says.
“When you come into the club you’re likely to see 200-300 people hanging out, socializing, and then some people going into one of our private rooms to engage in what adults enjoy doing,” says Smith. “It’s not what people think—when you come into one of our clubs, 80 to 90 percent of people will have their clothes on. There aren’t these masses of people all naked.”
“We have a dress code,” Smith continues. “No blue jeans, no tennis shoes, no baseball caps. And we have rules of conduct, so you ask before you touch, and you ask only once.”
The business will employ about 10 staff, says Smith, who signed the lease in February. “We’re targeting June for our grand opening,” he says. In the mean time, you can go to the website.
CLUB SESSO: Image from the website…
I told Smith I’d been all over Portland, looking for him, and he said he’s not scared of media attention. “It’s going to be the same controversy now or three weeks from now,” he says. “We’ve got nothing to hide.”
Most importantly of all, will Ron Jeremy be involved in the club?
“I can’t confirm or deny that,” said Smith.
So I speculated out loud that it sounds like Smith is still in negotiations. He just smiled.
We’ve got a message in to Jeremy seeking comment through his website, and are still trying to track down his publicist, if you’ve got any ideas…
I liked the gratuitous “MATT’S DOING RESEARCH!!!” section.
Their website says that tomorrow is their annual “Spring Gangbang.” Festive!
I like that Matt drove all over town to investigate a club, rather than just going to the club and knocking on the door.
Hey Matt, I’ve got a real news tip for you. Check out Club Twelve-22 at the corner of Fremont and Vancouver in N. Portland. A man was shot and killed there last November. They got a perfect 100 score on their last food inspection. Et cetera.
There, now leave the poor swingers alone.
note: “Spring Gangbang” is an all-day event
Are the people of Portland really scandalized by a swingers club? If gay sex at the Steam Bathhouse doesn’t whip them into a frenzy, why would a new (presumably mostly heterosexual) swingers club?
I think every bar in my neighborhood could be called a Swingers Club. What’s the big deal?
I had planned to congratulate you on actually setting foot in Lents before you start opining, but I only discovered more proof that you, Matt Davis, have no clue about the geographic location/boundaries of the Lents neighborhood. 11918 SE Division Street is in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood..and the fringes of that neighborhood, even.
Lents is not acceptable metonymy for places across from trailer parks in East Portland, Matt.
I’ll join this club as soon as I can be guaranteed that guy pictured above is not a member. No offense, dude, just not my thang!
You never even saw the guy — that is actually just a picture of Pattie Coleman.
{Lents is not acceptable metonymy for places across from trailer parks in East Portland, Matt.}
ummm …well is “Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood” acceptable to use as a {metonymy}?
Facts be facts a trailer park is here –> http://tinyurl.com/d5zu57
But I would swear I thought that this article was about a swinger club and not so much about (shame on you Matt) knowing the locations of where neighborhood boundaries are.
And heavens forbid if the word trailer is used, what am I suppose to think? (even if a trailer court was there) I still think its metonymy.
The real question here is “is there going to be pole dancing (swinging) at the new club. Notice no mention of boundaries when I refer to the “new club” location, basically because I have {no clue} and dont really care where the line is drawn (when I am trying to read about swingers)
I worked at a swingers club as a bouncer off and on for a few months. It was easily one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had in my entire life.
I have absolutely NO PROBLEM with clubs such as this nor legalized prostitution that is regulated and taxed. However, under the state’s and city’s anti-descrimination laws, even private clubs cannot discriminate for admittance on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation status. Most of these clubs admit only heterosexual couples and no single persons which puts them in violation of the law. I can see some of our more prudent city council members using this as the basis to shut-down the club.
I’ve actually been involved with the previous Ace of Hearts club when Paul was part owner. I have not yet been to Sesso. I can tell you that Paul does not discriminate member based on on hetero status or sexual orientation. Paul ran a very tight ship when he was part of Aces and I know that he will continue to run one. Congrats to him and his success at getting this new club off the ground
That comment is completely ignorant. A large percentage of the female visitors to swingers club’s are Bi-sexual and a small percentage of men are. Gay’s in general do not go to swinger type club’s but I have seen them there on occasion. And dont you think an owner of this type of club knows what the laws pertaining to it are? And where did anyone there were any discriminating rules? We, my wife and I cant wait to tryit out, it’s gotta be better than the other club.
In regards to the anti-descriminatory laws…..why then has the city counsel not questioned or shut down Portland Steam?? No girls allowed, as I recall….
My wife and i have been in the “lifestyle” for years. Wouldn’t trade it for anything! Its a wonderful time to be alive!
My wife and i have been in the “lifestyle” for 15 years and wouldn’t trade it for anything! Its not for everyone, and if its not for you, don’t go. Let others live their life. Its a wonderful time to be alive!
This is a wonderful article. The things given are unanimous and needs to be appreciated by everyone.
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marqthompson
swingers
omg..do the men that go there LOOK like him?!?! Horrifying!!!