NEW YORK - A proposed strip club reportedly financed by David Bowie and Sting has drawn the ire of residents of New York's Lower East Side.

The club, called "Forty Deuce,'' is planned for just north of Chinatown in a relatively low-rent residential and retail area that is gradually becoming more upscale. A ratepayers' group has a meeting scheduled for tomorrow, saying the "Forty Deuce'' nightclub is nothing more than a high-end strip joint.

Forty Deuce's website, which has since been taken down, called the proposed club "naughty yet sophisticated.''

Community opponents have gathered about two-thousand signatures.

As one irate resident put it, "I can't think of anywhere but the edge of the river that this is appropriate for.''

Robert Bookman, a lawyer for club mogul Ivan Kane, confirms Bowie and Sting are involved in the deal, but says he doesn't know to what extent.

"Forty Deuce'' clubs currently operate in Hollywood and Las Vegas.