When Paul Mueller purchased the 9,000-square-foot warehouse in the 1980s, South Water Street was a desolate and forgotten place. In 2004, he opened Hot Water, offering swing, jazz, tango, country, Latin, and disco nights several nights a week. On June 21, 2008, he achieved his dream of opening a warehouse club in the adjoining 5,000-square-foot space. Many believed Wherehouse would overtake La Cage as the city's top gay dance club, but it never really seized that opportunity. Wherehouse hosted international DJs, concerts, receptions, civic events, and the annual Old Timers Party before closing in December 2017.