By Bob Kecskemety

In many ways, the Wilton Manors of today is not the same city it  was 15 years ago, and the same  can be said of some of its most iconic landmarks. In the 1990s, the Island City was a two-square-mile bedroom community, and its main drag, Wilton Drive, ran through a “downtown” that was plain and drab. When a local bar called Georgie’s Alibi opened its doors on “the Drive” in April 1997, there was little to help predict the sea-change to come.

Today, the Alibi’s owners, Jackson Padgett and Mark Negrete, note with amusement that the city and their landmark establishment have “come a long way.”

“We try to run our businesses by always doing the right thing with the highest integrity and ethics,” said Padgett “and not stepping on other people’s toes.” Together with Negrete, his life and business partner, the pair also own Bill’s Filling Station just across the Drive.

Among other things, Padgett says that he and Negrete recognize the importance of patronizing other local gay businesses. “These are local ‘mom and pop’ operations and they are self-employed, as Mark and I are. Together we try to insure that money spent on necessity items are spent within our community.” That includes working with neighboring merchants in helping to create the highly successful “Rockin’ New Year’s Eve” which has benefited all the businesses located in the Shoppes of Wilton Manors.

The national spotlight first shone on Wilton Manors and its LGBT community just three years after Alibi opened its doors, when the 2000 U.S. Census data showed that between 11 and 17 percent of couples sharing homes in the Island City were “unmarried partners,” thinly-disguised official language to describe same-sex couples.

When the iconic establishment opened that spring, fifteen years ago, the property it occupies was boarded-up and had no electricity to power the lights. Most of the neighborhood’s stores were empty, although some businesses lined Wilton Drive: a lock and safe shop, a nursery, a vending machine company, and a couple of offices -not exactly what you’d consider an entertainment district.

The 2000 Census was a signpost that signaled the beginning of the area’s gay gentrification. Wilton Manors became the heart of South Florida’s gay community and Alibi undeniably became its heartbeat. The power couple of Padgett and Negrete, now celebrating their seventh year together, have been charged with the awesome responsibility of keeping the heart beating.

Negrete, who comes from Chicago, had a background in nightclub management both in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach. Padgett, originally from Charleston, South Carolina, helped build the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, and became its first director of operations.

Immersing themselves as they have in the community means recognizing the importance of working with local LGBT organizations, especially during hard economic times. Alibi and Bill’s remain major sponsors of the annual Stonewall Street Festival and Parade, as well as Wicked Weekend in October, and the spring PrideFest. In addition, they support Kids in Distress, GLAAD, the Gay American Heroes Foundation, Broward House, Care Resource, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and Tuesday’s Angels.

Padgett and Negrete also credit their staff for their success and relationship with the community. “[The staff] works very hard with Mark and I, and they do a great job. Our annual Turnabout Pageants are huge successes, and the staff does everything from decorating to entertainment,” says Padgett. “They’re also what make Alibi and Bill’s so inviting, so customers keep coming back. We thank [our customers] for being part of our family and hope to have them for many years to come.”

Both Alibi and Bill’s have fared better than many small businesses during the current downturn. Padgett says that there are good indications that the economy is picking up, including the opening of new food and drinking establishments on the Drive. He is philosophical about the competition.

“Obviously, when any competition comes in, there is a percentage of market share that goes away, so it certainly does affect you,” notes Padgett. “But why do you think furniture stores and car dealerships are always located in clusters together? It’s because they feed off each other. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it works. In order to build your business, you need to form strategic partnerships
and those partnerships may include the competing businesses. If you work well together, both businesses
are enhanced.”

Part of the continuing success of Bill’s and Alibi is the owners’ insistence on world-class entertainment. Famous names that have performed at their establishments include comedian Leslie Jordan and recording artist Lady Gaga. For  New Year 2013, Padgett and Negrete are planning special events and guest performers at both Alibi and Bill’s. For the power couple, the future is a welcome, if still undis-covered, country.

“We’re forging ahead,” says Padgett. “Everything’s going very well and we’re looking into expansion. Although it’s been a rough few years for everyone, we’ve just had to work a little harder and a little smarter. And we’ve made sure to continue to put the money  back into the community where it belongs. Our patrons loyal know we’re doing the best we can to make sure the community has what it needs to flourish.”

Photo: Jackson Padgett (Left) and Mark Negrete (Right)-  This pair of hearts credits their staff for making their club an ace.

Bob Kecskemety is a videographer, journalist and founder/producer of QueerChannel. www.QueerChannel.net YouTube.com/QueerChannel