After investing years and millions to transform the blighted property at the corner of University Avenue and Vermont Street, the owners of Universal Hillcrest proudly opened their nightclub last week to great fanfare.

The club’s presence, which as Universal’s Web site proclaims, “is the product of patience, the latest endeavor from the same men who brought international-caliber nightlife to the Gaslamp with Stingaree, the only club in the city to make it to Condé Nast’s Hot Nights List,” is also the culmination of years of fighting for inclusion: Many of us have long yearned for a venue that would bring both straight and gay folks together in an upscale, trendy, social environment.

It’s been a while in San Diego since we had this luxury. Rich’s pulled off the feat in the ’90s with its Club Hedonism, a Thursday night event that drew thousands to Hillcrest. But outside of Hillcrest there are still no venues where same-sex couples can comfortably dance alongside straight couples. The closest place where gays, lesbians and straights can socialize together is in West Hollywood, where The Abbey has become Los Angeles’ trendiest melting pot.

Unfortunately, however, some see Universal’s presence not as a dream come true, but as a reminder that things have changed. I heard one gay man lament this weekend about the good ol’ days when the space occupied by Universal belonged to Cinema F, a sex club of sorts, featuring small movie theaters, where one could watch the latest William Higgins or Matt Sterling release.

Other views come from heterophobes, who view the presence of straight folks in “their neighborhood” as a harbinger of what they view as a worse sort of urban blight: “It starts with a nightclub. Next, they’ll want day-care centers, schools and a Wal-Mart,” they say.

Others have a perhaps more legitimate worry. They fear that increasing numbers of straight people in Hillcrest will not just change the character of the area, but will present a threat to our safety and to the freedom we feel in Hillcrest to walk hand-in-hand or engage in any other public display of affection without fear.

Even if there’s no direct threat, such as being physically or verbally attacked, a raised eyebrow, a look of disdain or a hostile glare can diminish the desirability of the “gayborhood.”

Universal’s owners have, of course, tried to discourage such fears. Attempting to create an ambience of inclusion, the company’s Web site says, “We believe ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is ridiculous.”

Whether Universal succeeds as a business concept is yet to be seen. But we should commend the owners for their vision and dream, which we all should hope thrives.

In any event, those of us who live in Hillcrest are absolutely grateful for their investment in our community.

Yes, there are those who yearn for Cinema F, and there are those who don’t think there are enough “used something” shops on University, but the reality is Hillcrest/Uptown badly needed this development.

Unlike the “skyscraper” envisioned for University and Third avenues that has generated such criticism of Toni Atkins, Universal is a venture that Toni, her staff and Uptown Planners deserve kudos for ushering in.