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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KXRM) — Club Q has announced a timeline for the club’s reopening efforts through 2023, as well as a plan to help alleviate the hardships of former staff, contractors and entertainers.

Club Q posted an update on Facebook and reiterated that the club intends to reopen and build a permanent memorial to honor the five people killed in the mass shooting: Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh and Derrick Rump.

Club Q has partnered with HB&A, a women-owned architecture and planning firm based in Colorado Springs, to prepare future plans for the club and a permanent memorial at the site. Club Q said initial design concepts are expected to be delivered within 4-6 weeks, including the tribute to the five people killed.

“Their memories will be carried forward and honored forever, while we work to make Club Q a forever home for our LGBTQIA+ community,” Club Q said.

The future of Club Q

Club Q is also working with local, state, and federal agencies on enhanced security measures, which the club says it hopes can be a model for queer spaces across the country. More details on the exact safety precautions are also expected in 4-6 weeks, the club said.

The building remains untouched as of now, but they expect the interior of the space to be cleared out by April, with the club on track to reopen in the fall.

In addition to the rebuilding efforts, club management said they will also be rebuilding their team of staff members. The club has brought on two victims of the mass shooting as staff and plans to add at least one additional new position in the next month.

The new team members will work on an administrative basis, the club said, assisting management with rebuild efforts, community relations and more. More details on the staffing plan will also be made available as the club nears reopening later in the year, management said.

It was 20 years ago that I fought through a very different time in our country to ensure our community would have a safe space to gather and commune. 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. 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.

Founding owner of Club Q, Matthew Haynes

Supporting staff through hardship

Club Q said it has supported the Colorado Healing Fund in fundraising efforts for victims and the families of those killed, and the club has also officially endorsed the Compassion Fund as an additional option for donating to victims.

Club Q further defined who qualifies as a victim for the purposes of distributing funds to those who were directly impacted:

“Club Q maintains the official position, the same as the Compassion Fund, that a victim is defined as: a relative of those killed, an individual shot, or someone in the building during the shooting,” Club Q said. “We encourage organizations and individuals to continue to donate to the funds distributing directly to the victims. We want every penny from those funds to assist the victims and we are grateful for everyone who has contributed to those fundraisers.”

In addition to those organizations, Club Q itself created an official GoFundMe account, managed internally and at the sole discretion of Club Q management.

This GoFundMe campaign was created to fulfill three essential purposes:

  • To ensure the employees, as well as third-party entertainment contractors, did not suffer a reduction of income due to the sudden closure of Club Q
  • To fund a permanent standing tribute to honor those lost, the survivors of the attack, and the thousands affected
  • To rebuild and return Club Q back to the Colorado Springs LGBTQIA+ community

Club Q has announced its plan to fulfill the first objective: distributing lost wages. The club said it has “crafted an equitable formula” that will be used to fairly determine how much each individual will receive.

“The formula is based on an individual’s historic average of net monthly earnings and is designed to help ensure there has not been a reduction of income during the last three months due to Club Q’s abrupt closure,” said the club in their Facebook post.

The club said it will take the historic average of net monthly earnings and distribute up to three months’ wages in a single lump-sum payout. The club will distribute these funds to former employees and third-party entertainer contractors beginning Friday, Feb. 17.

“Club Q is grateful to so many in the community as our employees and contractors have been the beneficiaries of numerous additional direct payments from other fund-raising efforts,” said Club Q. “It is with great pleasure we are now able to provide funds in addition to what many have already received, so that our community can continue to heal.”