Club Q, the site of a deadly mass shooting that left five people dead, plans to rebuild its establishment with the goal of reopening in the fall.
The LGBTQIA+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, closed its doors after a gunman opened fire Nov. 19, 2022, killing five people and injuring several others.
“It has been two decades now that we have kept the doors open as a place where everyone, regardless of gender identity or who they love, had somewhere to belong,” the club’s owner, Matthew Haynes, said in a Facebook statement on Monday. “To everyone who has asked me to reopen the club, I assure you we are working very hard to bring our home back. We look forward to being able to gather as one community again.”
According to the statement, the nightclub will work on rebuilding the establishment over the next few months with the intention of opening its doors again in the fall. The initial design concepts are expected to be released soon, and the interior gutting of the establishment will take place by April.
With the help of local, state and federal agencies, the nightclub will add enhanced security measures, such as “screening technology and a hardened space,” to ensure the safety of its workers and patrons. Club Q said it hopes these safety measures can “become a model for countless queer spaces across the country.”
The mass shooting at Club Q was part of a surge of violence targeting the LGBTQ community last year. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 38 transgender people were killed in 2022. State legislators are continuing to threaten the community through anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and bills that would ban queer books, gender-affirming medical care and drag shows.
“Our goal and intention has always been to return Club Q as a safe space for the Colorado Springs LGBTQIA+ community and will continue to tirelessly work towards that effort,” the nightclub said in the statement.
Aside from changes to the physical space, Club Q has also added victims of the mass shooting to its management team. Through these positions, the new members will help management with the nightclub’s rebuilding efforts and strengthening community relations.
In collaboration with the city of Colorado Springs and the women-owned architecture firm HB&A, Club Q also plans to add a “permanent standing tribute” to the space to honor the five people killed in the shooting.
“Their memories will be carried forward and honored forever, while we work to make Club Q a forever home for our LGBTQIA+ community,” the statement said.
