By Edmond Ortiz
August is beginning with the brief closure of a historic downtown nightclub where owners say they will use the down time to install a new fire suppression system as required by the city.
Elsewhere in downtown, the owners of a rooftop bar are inviting fans to spend a bit more time at the venue’s original home before they close their doors ahead of a potential move.
Bonham Exchange temporarily closing
The Bonham Exchange, the downtown nightclub that has been a fixture in San Antonio’s LGBTQ+ community for more than 40 years, is temporarily closing to allow for the installation of new fire sprinklers.
Club representatives confirmed the news in a social media post made around 8 p.m. July 31. Midnight Aug. 1 is the expiration time for The Bonham’s temporary certificate of occupancy. Armed with an ordinance created in 2018, the city ordered bars, restaurants and dance clubs that serve alcohol and have an occupancy limit of 300-plus people to ensure a compliant fire suppression system.
A handful of establishments targeted by the ordinance were provided five years to comply with the fire suppression requirement, with nearly half of them still in non-compliance at the end of 2025, city representatives said. While a few of the other venues had closed, some others decreased their capacity in order to remain in operation.
The Bonham Exchange is housed in a multi-story building that dates back to the 1890s. Last February, three City Council members pushed for a council vote to extend the compliance deadline for The Bonham, whose general manager Joan Duckworth was worried that cutting the club’s 650-person occupancy to 300 and the $550,000 sprinkler installation cost would prove unsustainable.
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and The Bonham did arrive at an agreement where the mayor also pledged to help the owners to raise funds. Jones reportedly facilitated a meeting between Duckworth and Pearl developer Silver Ventures, where the latter company reportedly proposed a change in the way that The Bonham does business. Nothing came from that meeting.
Later July 31, representatives for The Bonham confirmed the club has funding to install the new fire suppression system, and will be closed from four to five months for work to be completed.
According to a social media post, ownership said the final timeline for compliance had moved faster than they expected, and that securing the money was not easy. They added that there is enough funding to permit other internal improvements, including a new sound system.
“We want our friends, neighbors and longtime patrons to hear one thing clearly: the Bonham Exchange is here to stay,” the social media post stated.
The city must first review the new sprinkler system and other paperwork from The Bonham before the venue can get final approval and reopen its doors. City representatives said they would look forward to working with the club expeditiously in order for the venue to reopen with the required upgrades.
Rooftop bar Paramour plans relocation
Paramour at the Phipps, a once-buzzy rooftop cocktail bar along the Riverwalk Museum Reach, is moving from its original home at 102 9th St.
According to a July 29 social media post, the owners said they are indefinitely closing the venue and determining next steps for Paramour.
“We may be forced to move and it is disrupting Paramour’s ability to keep our word to always be there for our family. To live up to that commitment, we are considering pausing this version of Paramour while we plan the next evolution of this iconic San Antonio night spot,” the post stated. “The address may change, Paramour won’t.”
In 2014, local attorney Martin Phipps opened the former Phipps Building at 102 9th St., where his law firm is located, and where he opened Paramour atop the structure in 2015.
The upscale bar became an instant hit with residents and visitors of the surrounding River North neighborhood, where a dining and entertainment district has emerged in recent years. Colette at the Phipps, a small restaurant, opened in 2023 and shared space with Paramour.
The bar also served coffee during daytime hours, accommodated private events, and often hosted popular drag brunches.
But Phipps encountered financial troubles in the early 2020s, and both his law firm office and Paramour found themselves locked out of their building by the landlord in 2024.
Phipps filed suit against the landlord, CDC Enterprises, but lost the case where the landlord cited unpaid rent. Paramour and Phipps’ law firm again found themselves locked out of the building last March over newer claims of unpaid rent and a failure to maintain common spaces.
Paramour’s owners have not yet revealed a final day of service at the riverside building, which is now called The Paradigm.
