Gilbert’s Clare House Fate in Limbo as Bottled Blonde Owner Indicted on $40M Fraud Charges

Plans for a new Bottled Blonde location in Gilbert have come to a halt following the indictment of the property’s owner, Aaron Wagner, on charges of federal fraud and money laundering. Wagner, who was arrested last month, allegedly convinced investors to funnel $40 million into funding a chain of restaurants, redirecting the money to personal luxuries instead, according to a

report by AZFamily

.

Gilbert’s historical Clare House is caught in this tumult, a building Wagner had acquired and intended to raze for the nightclub’s development. The Evening Entertainment Group, associated with Bottled Blonde, withdrew as a tenant of the property as announced in October 2024, amidst the controversial plans. “Evening Entertainment Group and Bottled Blonde have withdrawn as the proposed tenant at the Gilbert development owned by Aaron Wagner, effective October 2024,” the company said in a statement obtained by

FOX 10 Phoenix

.

Activists and locals had been worried about the fate of the Clare House, one of Gilbert’s oldest structures. With the plans disrupted, Julia Taggart, Sunnyslope Historical Society President, sees an opportunity for preservation. “There’s some controversy with building it there because if you go onto that road, a lot of it is mom-and-pop shops, family friendly, and then you have women in lingerie,” Taggart told

FOX 10 Phoenix.

The historical significance of Clare House mobilized efforts to save it, with the aim not just to keep it standing, but to serve as an educational symbol of Arizona’s past.

However, with Wagner’s legal troubles unfolding, the future of the Clare House remains uncertain. Denise Lopez of HD South, home of the Gilbert Historical Museum, stated that they continue to accept donations for the building’s preservation. “It’s sad to see because now this property is in limbo. Even if he said, you can move it, we can’t move it because I’m sure the FBI is going to seize it at some point,” Taggart said, expressing concern over the current state of affairs, according to

FOX 10 Phoenix.

Wagner has denied the allegations and plans to defend himself in court. The impact of the indictment has undoubtedly cast a shadow over what was to be a new nightlife venue.

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