As the dance floor speakers faded on the chin-up disco standards of Gloria Gaynor and The Bee Gees, a disc jockey summed up the sentiments of the wall-to-wall crowd Monday at Port O' Call.

"This sucks! But we're gonna have a good time tonight!"

After 20 years, the mainstay of Salt Lake City nightlife closed its doors under orders from a federal judge to make way for a new federal courthouse.

"It's a landmark," said co-owner Jannette Knowley, who fought the condemnation at 400 South and West Temple.

Patron Elizabeth Christensen said Port O' Call is all but a rite of passage in Salt Lake City.

"When I turned 21, this is the place you heard about. This is the first big bar you'd go to."

Customer Tom McLachlan, said he will miss the variety in the club's three levels -- particularly the various alcoves for sports fans.

"They had dance, sports, pool --the whole shebang," he said.

Friday-night regular Alicia Rio said she had become friends with several of the club's 90-plus employees since she turned 21 in August.

"I'm so sad they're closing," she said. "I'm going to miss the people that work here."

Knowley said she will not decide whether to reopen elsewhere until November, when a jury trial will begin to determine the property's value. The condemnation of the property -- the Shubrick Building, home of Port O' Call and the unoccupied Galley and DeWorth buildings -- will open up space just west of the Frank E. Moss U.S. Courthouse at 350 S. Main St.

The government has valued the buildings and land at about $5.5 million -- a low figure, Knowley said.

But on Monday night, she accepted scores of hugs and took to the dance floor for ABBA's "Dancing Queen."

"We're going out on top," she said.