Exactly. Improving this district is the one issue that any candidate will agree on, and the way to improve it is to push out these piss-poor venues.
You can improve this district without killing it.
I would advocate for a Vegas style strip which is easier to control, police and regulate. Let's take Richmond St. West as an example.
Allowing clubs to locate only along that strip from University to Spadina would enable the city to focus its attention to serving that market in a very focused way.
This street would be designed to be closed to traffic during the busy weekend nights. It would be a pedestrian zone which would solve sidewalk crowding and people wandering off drunk into the street.
Rather than fighting against this financial asset, the city would work with Tourism Toronto to promote it.
While I think that the industry needs to be regulated better – sidewalks shouldn't be artificial holding areas to make clubs look busy – I feel that it has contributed greatly to the renaissance of this former industrial area of the city and should be allowed to continue to do so.
Full disclosure here: Professionally, I'm in the creative communications field and my company serves mainly nightlife entertainment.
Socially, I don't like going to clubs. They're packed, people are often cocky, rude, and noisy. I don't even drink. I regularly see drunk people's behavior which has turned me off from enjoying a drink myself.
That said, I see the club district as a unique asset to this city. One that should be improved upon, not eliminated.