It’s been two arduous years since Peter Gatien and Hingson Corp joined forces in an unholy union to transform the former Lucid/Playdium space. With Hingson Corp now completely out of the picture after a $20M lawsuit, and Peter Gatien pulling the Circa load by himself, all eyes have been on him to get Circa open to the public. But this has proven to be no small task for the dethroned King of the New York City club scene.

Peter Gaitien’s name instantly brings to mind his ‘80s powerhouses - The Limelight, The Tunnel and The Palladium - super-clubs the likes of which NYC hadn't seen since Studio 54. The Limelight was clearly Gatien's flagship club, a former Episcopal church that took up most of the block on Sixth Avenue and 20th Street.

The club lured A-list kids in droves, and drugs and their dealers would soon follow. One of the promoters at the Limelight was Michael Alig, known for his flamboyance and huge cult-like following to his parties. But drug use eventually led him to an altercation with another club kid, leading to the death of Angel Melendez; Alig would dismember Angel’s body and toss it in a box and into the Hudson River.

Eventually, Alig was convicted of the murder, bringing unwanted attention to Gatien's clubs, which were already under investigation. In the end, the only wrongdoing on Gatien's part was tax evasion, which led to stint in jail and being deported back to Canada. The Palladium, The Tunnel and The Limelight would eventually close.