Plans for “The Q” located inside the Satellite Hotel

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Driving past the Satellite Hotel, one may wonder what lies inside, the building’s unique shape resembles that of a satellite, with three distinct wings housing a diverse variety of residents and guests coming to visit southern Colorado.

“It was sitting here on Airport Road, and it was the ‘Airport Hotel’ because it was the closest hotel to the airport,” Satellite Hotel HOA Board Member, David Corder, said. “There are 80 hotel rooms in it, and there are 280 condominium units, along with another 80 commercial units that housed businesses, so it’s a very complicated and very unusual building.”

The Satellite Hotel welcomes both first-time visitors to the area and long-time residents of the Pikes Peak Region, embodying its role as a dynamic and multifunctional space within the community.

“Well, as with any space where you’re dealing with hundreds of people that are of diverse backgrounds and we house everything from young to older, from every style of person in here,” Corder said. “This is basically a microcosm of what the world is right in the satellite hotel, so we have every point of view.”

On the end of the first floor in the C wing, lies the entrance to The Q, the newest addition to the Satellite Hotel. Following the tragic events at Club Q in November 2022, this dedicated space aims to continue its mission and serve as a safe and affirming place for all.

“The goal of the Q is to provide something that currently is not existent in the city,” Co-Founder of The Q, Michael Anderson, said. “Club Q shut down after the horrific attack on November 19th, 2022, and then last December, Icons shut down. Right now, we are left with a lot of queer affirming spaces, but we don’t have any space really for LGBTQ people to gather in a space meant for them.”

While this space welcomes all inside, it also stands as a tribute to those lost in the Club Q tragedy, offering comfort and healing to those seeking connection and support.

“We have a lot of responsibility to provide a good space, not just saying, ‘Oh, you know, here’s an LGBTQ designated space, but we want it to be quality, we want it to be good,'” said Anderson.

This lounge holds an even deeper significance for Anderson, who survived the night of the Club Q shooting. Working with Tara Bush, Anderson found strength in filling the gap left behind and establishing a new LGBTQ+ space.

“Me and Tara agreed to open this project, The Q, because we thought it would find healing and kind of purpose for us moving forward,” Anderson said. “So, we’ve worked really, really diligently, literally there’s probably not a single surface in this bar that her or I haven’t touched and been involved in.”

In the process of establishing the lounge in the Satellite Hotel, several residents have expressed concerns about parking and more foot traffic in the building.

“Concerns about their coming through the lobby,” Resident in the Satellite Hotel, Sherrie Neufeld, said. “Once you’re in the front doors, you have access to the entire building. Also, the parking situation, now we’re going to have many more cars and there’s already problems with broken windows and things happening in the parking lot.”

However, this is not the first time a restaurant or bar has opened within the building. Corder explained over the years, various businesses have occupied the space, leading to similar questions and concerns being raised.

“It’s always the same thing,” Corder said. “It’s going to be, is it going to be loud, where are the smokers going to be… Nothing has changed, it’s the history of everything. So, we have had a restaurant lounge in this building for years and years and years, and there’s never actually been a problem.”

To address the concerns of residents, Anderson outlined plans to implement a security system to monitor the lobby along with their venue. Additionally, The Q installed a specifically crafted sound system to help with noise control and ensure residents will not be disrupted.

“This by no means is a nightclub,” Anderson said. “This is very specifically built to be a bar and lounge. This is somewhere you will come to have a conversation with your friends and socialize and, Club Q was somewhere where if you went to socialize at times, you couldn’t even barely hear each other because of the music and how loud that was being played here.”

In terms of when The Q will open, Anderson said it will be ” very, very soon” and suggested to follow along on their social media for updates.

The newly elected HOA Satellite Board will meet for the first time according to Corder on Thursday.

While several board members do have different opinions and concerns on the new lounge, Corder stated, “In reality, all of those have been discussed, all of those have been discussed for the past year. So, I think all of them are in play right now and so legally, their leases are valid.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.