NYC church that housed notorious club to convert

From AP-

A church that once housed a notorious New York City nightclub is expected to undergo a conversion.

Once home to the Limelight and later Club Avalon, the 163-year-old former Episcopal church in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood is slated to become a mini-mall.

Limelight Marketplace spokeswoman Jessica Shrier says the mall will have about 80 shops. She says it's expected to open before the holidays.

Residents who remember the Limelight years are skeptical. In the 1990s, it was a sanctuary for recreational drugs. In 1996, a drug dealer at the club was murdered.

Community board member Howard Mendes says residents are worried the mall is a ploy to get a club back in the building.

Shrier says there will be no club or dancing.

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