The culture and business of Pike/Pine nightlife and its edges are so jam packed that the next big club project coming to the area will take the party down to the next level — the basement. CHS has learned the details of Q, a new high-design nightclub destined for the lower level of 1205 E. Pike.
The club will thump thump thump the night away at the intersection between 12th Ave’s growing restaurant scene featuring the likes of Barrio, Plum, the coming-soon Local Vine and High 5 Pie’s new shop and Pike’s watering holes both upscale and downscale.
Andy Rampl, a partner behind FMJ Clubcorp, LLC, the company creating the club, describes Q as an ultra lounge with a dance floor and a world class sound and lighting system and tells CHS that his planned nightclub is a major investment in the space. “The club is being designed by Bohlin Cywinski and Jackson (Seattle City Hall, Pixar Studios, the Apple Stores in New York, London and Tokyo as well as Bill and Melinda Gates’ home here in Medina) with the sound system by SoundInvestments AV/Funktion One and digital lighting by SJ Lighting,” Rampl told us via e-mail.
Rampl couldn’t reveal much more about the project or when he is planning to open at this point. No permits have been granted for the project yet but Department of Planning records indicate that the paperwork has begun. We also found that Q has already applied for a liquor license.
Lower level dance clubs aren’t terribly unusual in many cities but Capitol Hill’s main dancefloors are above ground affairs at this point and have been mostly pushed out of its core. But Q isn’t the only Pike nightlife basement project underway. When Unicorn took over the former home of the Satellite, we reported that the new guys had plans for the 5,000 square foot basement beneath.
“The Pike/Pine corridor is one of, if not the hottest retail and nightlife neighborhoods in Seattle,” Rampl said. With continued interest in the opportunities of the area, there will probably be more E Pike landowners clearing out their basements and making room for business.
UPDATE: We came right out and asked Rampl about whether Q is going to be a gay dance club. His response:
I personally hate labels but understand that a lot of people and most businesses need them to one degree or another in order to self-identify.
I think the fact that we’re on Capitol Hill and that I intend to draw largely from the great talent pool on the Hill for our staffing needs should tell you all you need to know about the incredibly mixed and varied crowd we will attract, as do all of the wonderful bars and clubs on the hill.
So, yes. Hella gay.
How do you get really good exits out of a big club in a true basement?
Sounds like it will be another reason to avoid Pike/Pine on weekends.
Not BCJ? I think it was Jim Cutler. Unless they did some of the later work?
yeah, I don’t want to be negative, but it doesn’t sound as if this project is geared toward the current night life of the Hill. It sounds much more as if it will try and draw the Belltown crowd up to Pike/Pine, which will just lead to more gay-bashings, public drunkeness and altercations. Seriously, have you SEEN Belltown on a Friday/Saturday night? It’s atrocious. Hope I’m wrong!
It’s my understanding that Q will be for the queers. Seattle lacks a modern dance club for the higher end gay set and it’s exactly what our community needs.
I agree with a name like “Q” that would lead me to believe it was LGBT associated(Fingers crossed).
Yes, please! The Hill’s homos could use a decent place to dance…but we’ve never demonstrated an ability to support more than one dance club (Neighbors, of all places!). Here’s crossing my fingers that we can move up in the options world for nightlife!
BCJ and Cutler BOTH designed the Gates home and I know one of the consultants working on the Q project and its definitely being geared to the “GLBT and their friends” crowd.
Alright, I concede. If it’s for the gays, we should allow it.
Yup…totally a new hangout for young, suburban yups.
ugh.
with stairs, the same way you do from a second floor.
A high caliber dance club.. between the cockroaches at neighbors and the smell of BO and farts at the cuff, I was wondering if there was ever going to be a light at the end of the tunnel!
If this place turns out to be anything but a gay club, it’ll be run off the hill in no time. (Remember Club Lagoon) We will not tolerate the popped-collar homophobes and the glitzy skanks that hang on them. I suggest to the queers who eventually will frequent this spot to ramp it up in order to squick out any bridge and tunnel folks. Make the Cuff and the Eagle look like an afternoon at Ikea.
So just because it MIGHT be geared toward the “gays” doesn’t mean a swanky club won’t attract the Bell Town crowd. Bell Town has been completely trashed and became a scary place to hang out in about 5 minutes when restaurants and retail was replaced by clubs. I am hoping for the best, but I’m a little leery until I see it.
xo CH
@seattlekps and michael strangerswithcandy — i just luv how you two know so much about this club from what little is written in this article because gurrrrls you don’t know squat! ur just spouting off because q is gonna be gay gay gay with gurls gurls gurls and any hetero kewl enough (and brave enough) to venture forth will be more than welcome. and i know this because i know the people behind it. so go on with your self important posturing miss seattlekps and miss stangecrotch, but my mama always told me if you don’t know what yer talkin about then you shouldn’t be flappin yer gums and you two most certainly don’t know what yer talkin about. Mmmmmkay?
I’m ready for new lounge options, and I don’t think Q sounds anything like a Belltown establishment. Hope to hear more details soon.
And why are folks worrying about emergency exits and fire code issues? Do you have any reason to believe a modern club won’t have proper planning, inspections, and successful implementation?
Who is it grumpy to raise a reasonable issue? Fire codes are a big deal. And best raised now, long before renovation of the space.
Exactly Mike with Curls! Fire codes and building codes are a big deal and that’s why the Seattle Fire Dept. (for whom I work) and DPD have them and require all public accommodations to strictly comply with them. Permits for construction don’t get issued until the plans for exits are approved in advance and then inspected once completed. But Mike with Curls, the key here is that its the job of the fire dept. and the city to raise these issues and to mandate compliance — not readers posting comments in a blog’s comment section and who don’t even know what the language in the pertinent codes is.
Rest assured, if the owner of Q (or any other public accommodation) gets a construction permit he’s complied with the permitting requirements of the city and then, even after the space gets built, will not receive a certificate of occupancy to open for business until such time as the work that received the permit is inspected and signed off on by a city inspector.
When building or renovating I often look to blog commenters on the internet for code related advice and guidance… Don’t you?
Hahahah! I’m with Seattle Seven — I ALWAYS use blog commenters as my go-to source for advice on code compliance whenever I’m doing a major construction project. Because blog commenters always have so much more information about things like fire codes and building codes than people like. . . oh . . .I don’t know. . .maybe. . . THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT
When its right across the street from the East Precinct Station House? Cops will be able to look out the window to see what going on with getting up. The “Belltown crowd” won’t visit more than once.
Good for you.
I was a bonded building contractor for years. Your smarmy stuff is silly. Just a comment.
@Mike with Curls if you were a “bonded contractor for years” I worry about your poor clients, because in your first comment you seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that it is actually possible to have a means of safely leaving a basement.
Maybe way back in the day when you were bonded and doing all that contracting stuff you say you did they didn’t have those things. You know? Stairs and doors and exits and such.
You are kind of grumpy.
Isn’t the idea friendly discourse? Of course in your world there are not horrible club fires, that kill many people, cause there are doors and windows, “and such”, out there….
Never. Cause Jackie has all the so obvious and snide answers.
Do you see the clue bus from your window, jump on it!!! Really.
Sounds like a long overdue addition to Seattle’s nightlife and just the kind of club a ‘grown up’ city should be able to support – can’t wait to check it out.
I’m not grumpy at all Mike with Curls — I just don’t enjoy concern trolls like you wasting people’s time in a comment thread.
First you ask this ridiculous question:
“How do you get really good exits out of a big club in a true basement?”
Seriously Mike???? Seriously??????? You really asked that question?????????
Then, after having your basically idiotic question answered by Finish Tag you elect to put on your concern troll hat in your next comment by seeming to imply that the issue of fire codes should be something best left in the hands of blog comment posters.
And then, after having chapter and verse spelled out to you by a member of Seattle’s bravest concerning fire codes {as if all that weren’t bad/sad enough already for you} you then try to imply that the fact that you were once a contractor (but now apparently are no longer) should somehow impart to you the ability to opine {and that we should listen to your opining} on subjects that you are clearly out of your depth on, as evidenced by your previous comments.
So yeah Mike, I think we all saw the clue bus from all of our windows and what we saw was you clearly missing it.
Repeatedly.
Now, if you don’t mind I’m gonna go back to bed until the afternoon clue bus rolls around and we’ll get to see if you’ve missed that one too. My bet is that you will, because you’re nothing if not consistent.
It looks like this club is now going to be at 1426 Broadway (Broadway & Pike), across from the QFC. There’s a sign in the window of the old car repair shop for a liquor license for the Q Nightclub. This is the shop between the Frame Shop and Perkins Glass & Mirror (the orange building with the one way mirrors in front).
The building has a basement, main floor, and an upstairs. It seems the club is going on the main level, the basement is either storage or something non-public; and the upstairs is supposed to be an architect’s office.
It makes you wonder if the QFC garage is going to be mobbed with cars for the nightclub. There’s already a lot of public drunkeness and people deficating in the entryways of the businesses there; and somehow I don’t think the Q Nightclub is going to improve those behaviors much. It looks like Perkins Glass even added a second door to the outside of their building to make it flush with the street so people couldn’t hide in their alcove entryway (probably in response to the Q). I wonder how the tenants above the buildings to either side are going to feel about a Nightclub next door as well…
Yes, update here
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2011/04/12/pike-pines-nigh
With Neighbours kitty corner doesn’t seem like a big change for the area — but I don’t try to sleep near there either.
“Who is it grumpy to raise a reasonable issue? Fire codes are a big deal. And best raised now, long before renovation of the space.”
Because it’s going to be built with a code. If you have issues with building codes, take it up with the city. If you’re just blowing hot air out of your ass, I’m sure you’ll find any excuse to do so because you have issues with nightlife.
“I was a bonded building contractor for years. Your smarmy stuff is silly. Just a comment.”
If you were a bonded building contractor for years, why didn’t you build things to code?