Previously a popular bar called Oregon House (1976-1978) had occupied this space. Oregon House tried to be more popular by playing disco music, but the larger Disco venues were more popular and Oregon House struggled. Around June-July 1978 it quietly remodeled and became 'The Phoenix'.

For some years, The Phoenix was the southern anchor of an area of several gay bars in a 1 block area: also including C'est La Vie, Gary's/ Circus/ Club 219 (a disco bar), and BallGame to the north. During its years it had a few remodelings, but generally consisted of two rooms, and always had an active dance floor, good music, and a party atmosphere. It was generally one of the more popular bars in the area, with people going back and forth between this bar and Club 219 (or Gary's, or Circus, or whatever name that bar was using at the time).

But as disco popularity declined, paid advertisements in local LGBT media, fairly common in the late 1970's and the early 1980's, became very rare and nearly disappeared by 1986. The bar tried to adopt, briefly embracing Country Western music in 1992, and then dedicating one of its bar areas to women and another to a D.J. The upstairs bar even began to unofficially adopt the name of the primary female bartender there: for example, late in 1984 the upstairs lounge was "Anita's Women's Bar", and a daily-events listing in October 1989 proclaimed "Michelle's back in drag... show in Michelle's (upstairs bar)".

And the area lost ground as a night-time gay mecca, mostly due to the neighborhood. The Club 219, which for a while was THE largest and most popular gay dance club in Milwaukee, was eclipsed by La Cage, and that area (about 8 blocks to the south, around National Avenue) became the center of gay bars and activity. The neighborhood around Phoenix also began to became gentrified, with condos and art galleries moving into the area; these detracted from the closed "gay neighborhood" feeling, and also greatly restricted availability of parking.

The last time the Phoenix was listed in local LGBT media "Bar Guides" was 'In Step' magazine vol. 10-07, the April 1993 issue; so it had likely closed a month or two previously. By September, it had re-opened as Deja-Vu.

This space was occupied by at least six LGBT bars over the years:

Oregon House (1976-1978)
Phoenix (1978-1993)
Deja-Vu a lesbian bar (1993-1994)
Dish a mixed lesbian/gay bar (1997-2003)
B-Side a bar "above Barossa" used by Miltown Kings for events (2004-2005)
Ginger a mostly lesbian restaurant/ bar (2008-2015)

More information about this business is welcomed from anyone who can contribute it.