Pittsburgh Planning Commission votes down giving Donny's Place historic landmark status
Pittsburgh's planning commission has voted against making Donny's Place the city's first official LGBTQ+ historic landmark.
The future of the former gay bar is now in question and the building could face demolition. Laurel Communities has proposed building townhomes that would require the bar to be torn down.
Planning Commission Chairwoman Lashawn Burton-Falk said Tuesday that something like a historic marker could be used to pay tribute to the significance of the bar's history even if the building is demolished.
Last month, the city's Historic Review Commission made "no recommendation" on the fate of the former gay bar in Pittsburgh's Polish Hill neighborhood.
The bar was the hub of LGBTQ life in the city from 1973 to its closure in 2022.
The founder of Donny's Place, Donald Thinnes, a Vietnam veteran, bought the building in 1973 and made it a safe haven for LGBTQ people, even offering life-saving HIV/AIDS testing.
Over the years, the bar had numerous names, including Leather Central. But it was more than a nightclub. It also functioned as a community center, hosting fundraisers, memorials and spaghetti dinners.
Pittsburgh City Council members will now have the final say on what happens to the building. At least six of the nine votes will be needed for Donny's Place to receive historic designation.
It's unclear when city council's final vote will take place.
