Richmond won't issue a building permit for a proposed restaurant and nightclub on West Broad Street because its owner -- the operator of a strip club in Shockoe Bottom -- hasn't been clear about his plans for the building.

City officials said they weren't satisfied with answers to their questions about how the former site of Julian's Restaurant would be used, and whether employees would wear enough clothing to avoid having the business classified as a strip club.

"It's a closed case as far as we're concerned," said Rachel Flynn, director of community development. "They can come back, and we'll start all over."

The former Julian's building at 2617 W. Broad St. is owned by P Café, a limited liability company associated with Samuel J.T. Moore III, owner of Club Velvet, a seminude strip club on South 15th Street in Shockoe Bottom.

Moore's proposal for a nightclub and restaurant in the West Broad Street building, directly across from the Children's Museum of Richmond, has sparked opposition from neighbors and local political leaders.

Moore is scheduled to appear next week in Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court on two charges that he had sex with a minor at Club Velvet last month.

Club Velvet is the subject of a police investigation in conjunction with state and federal agents, who searched the business and Moore's adjacent home early Feb. 23. No charges have been filed in the investigation, which is focusing primarily on possible prostitution.

Moore did not return a telephone message for comment yesterday. His contractor, Bill Browning of BETCO Construction Inc., said yesterday that he had nothing to add to correspondence between him and the city over a building permit to renovate the building.

William C. "Chuck" Davidson, a zoning administrator, wrote Moore a month ago and requested more information, including details about clothing to determine whether the proposed club qualified as an adult entertainment establishment, which would be prohibited at the location by city ordinance.

The city also asked for a scaled site plan, with details for parking and an explanation of the building's proposed uses. The most recent plans submitted to the city show a nightclub in the basement, a restaurant on the first floor, and a residence upstairs.

Browning responded by e-mail about two weeks ago that the company has a scaled site plan with parking shown and compared the proposed club and restaurant layout to The Tobacco Company, a popular venue in Shockoe Slip.

He referred questions about clothing -- or lack of it -- to Moore.

However, the project's architect, Walter Parks, was more explicit. He wrote in an e-mail that employees may show cleavage but not much more.

More than a week after receiving the e-mails, Davidson gave Browning a deadline of Monday afternoon to submit additional plans and documentation, as well as verification that the architect had described correctly how employees would be dressed.

"He didn't meet the deadline," Flynn said.

Contact Michael Martz at (804) 649-6964 or mmartz@timesdispatch.com.