Club Q plans to reopen original location, while new ‘lounge’ receives pushback
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Club Q owner, Matthew Haynes, told KRDO13 Investigates the club will reopen at its original location sometime in the future. In the meantime, the ownership group is opening an LGBTQ+ lounge inside the Satellite Hotel, despite some pushback.
After the Club Q shooting in November 2022, the owner’s plan was to reopen it. However, those plans have changed. While Haynes said Club Q will reopen eventually, a new space will allow the LGBTQ+ community to gather.
The Q is an LGBTQ+ lounge inside the Satellite Hotel, which is mostly apartments with space on the first floor for retail rental. That’s where The Q is expected to open “very soon,” according to the founder Michael Anderson.
“This venue is a net positive for us, for this community and for this building,” Anderson said. “We firmly believe that if we're successful, the hotel will be successful as well.”
However, not everyone agrees, especially more recently. Last week, five new members were elected to the nine-person Satellite Hotel board, including newly elected president Hayward Rigano. He said their platform was against The Q.
“The majority of the owners do not want the club or any nightclub for that matter to move in here,” Rigano said.
Despite not even holding a meeting since last week’s election, Rigano said he and some other residents in the Satellite Hotel have concerns, including late hours, which is why he calls it a nightclub instead of a lounge.
“Is it a nightclub? Is it a restaurant or is it a lounge? Most of the people here feel it's a nightclub since it will be open until two in the morning.”
Anderson said The Q will be open until midnight or 1 a.m. depending on the day. He said it’s a lounge because it won’t have the loud music, DJ, and the dance floor that’s synonymous with a nightclub.
“There is a hyper fixation from the board president and this building to try and pin this down as a nightclub,” Anderson said. “I have to wonder if he's ever been in a nightclub because this doesn't resemble one whatsoever.”
Anderson said a number of other restaurants and bars have come and gone in the same space, which is why he said the pushback by Rigano and some other residents isn’t about hours or parking.
“What we're dealing with is a group of people within this building that do not like the LGBTQ community and do not want this venue here because of that reason.”
Rigano disagrees and said there are a number of LGBTQ+ residents who live at the Satellite Hotel.
“I find their behavior and their way of life two separate things,” he said. “The way they want to live their life is their business. Their behavior is very satisfactory for us. They've never given us any trouble.”
The Q will open soon and stay at the Satellite Hotel at least until its lease expires in three years. After that, its future is up in the air. Haynes said the lease includes an automatic renewal option with a maximum of a 30% price increase. Rigano said the current board wouldn’t renew the lease if given the chance.
