Porto’s Bakery, an arcade and a live entertainment venue are some of the ideas community members have for the closed Oxnard Levity Live Comedy Club and adjacent Copper Blues Rock Pub & Kitchen at The Collection in Riverpark.
Both venues at 591 Collection Blvd. in Oxnard closed permanently to the public on Aug. 16, affecting 69 workers.
Comedian Gary Owenheadlined Levity Live’s final show, while a "Last Sunday Funday" featuring guest DJsclosed out the bar and kitchen venue.
Comedy Club Oxnard LLC, the comedy club and adjoining restaurant and bar, filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice with the state on June 17.
On Aug. 14, people lined up outside the comedy club to see Owen, who got his break hosting Black Entertainment Television's
"Comic View" in the late 1990s and later appeared in films like "Think Like a Man." Owen had shows and additional performances on Aug. 15 and Aug. 16.
Some attendees said they would like to see the space to remain an entertainment venue capable of holding comedy, music or theater.
"There's just so many things you could do," said Christopher Johnson, 62, of Ventura. "It's kind of a shame because I liked this place."
Willy Biggs, 59, of Oxnard, said he's seen comedians including Arsenio Hall, George Lopez and D.L. Hughley at the venue and would like another comedy club similar to Levity Live.
Troy Garcia, an Oxnard resident and the venue's general manager, said he has been with Levity Live since it opened in 2016 and worked his way up.
"I opened the place. I was at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and now I'm closing the place," he said. "It's a sad end, but it's been a fun ride."
Garcia, who will transfer to the company's Ontario location, said there has been no talk of Levity Live returning but hopes that changes.
"It's a beautiful mall. It's a beautiful location," Garcia said. "People don't have the funds to do things in this economy."
Andy Conli, president and CEO of the West Ventura County Business Alliance, said he hopes the space remains an entertainment venue operated by a local group, such as the team behind the Ventura Music Hall.
“That way you can still bring in comedy acts but also concerts, tapping into the rich Oxnard music scene and other entertainment options,” he said.
Oxnard Mayor Luis Mc Arthur said he would like to see the spot filled with Porto’s Bakery, which is based in Glendale and known for its Cuban pastries and baked goods
“Patrons cherish iconic items such as potato balls and cheese rolls,” he said, adding that the bakery is known for its strong community involvement.
Abel Magaña, executive director of the Downtown Oxnard Improvement Association, said he was in favor of a large arcade modeled after those he visited in Japan.
“They weren’t like the arcades of old. They were definitely more interactive, and it was almost like a form of exercise,” Magaña said. “I remember those being very large, expansive type of places.”
Magaña said any arcade would need to offer a destination experience.
Levity Live and Copper Blues opened July 27, 2016, and its lease expired on July 31. The tenants extended it through August, said Jennifer Duarte, director of property management for CenterCal Properties LLC, whose portfolio includes The Collection at RiverPark.
Duarte said that CenterCal was not ready to announce replacement tenants for the space, which previously housed Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill, but that “we’re actively pursuing dynamic new tenants and look forward to unveiling exciting new concepts.”
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: What's next for vacancy left by Oxnard Levity Live, Copper Blues?
