FLUXX looks to up the energy downtown

A multi-million dollar renovation on an 11,000 square foot dance club downtown is scheduled to be complete in early 2010, but buzz is already building. The space — formerly occupied by Aubergine — is re-opening as FLUXX, a high-energy nightclub with an emphasis on dancing, and state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment.

An artist's rendering of the interior of FLUXX, an 11,000-square foot dance club scheduled to open downtown in early 2010. (Courtesy photo)

The RMD Group — the company that renovated the sexy Side Bar earlier this year — is hard at work on FLUXX, and developing ideas to keep the space, well, in flux, said Mike Georgopoulos, a managing partner for the RMD Group.

Georgopoulos gave us some insight into FLUXX and what nightlifers can expect from the bright, playful mega dance club when it opens next year.

San Diego News Network: What attracted you to the space formerly occupied by Aubergine?

Mike Georgopoulos: The thing that attracted us (RMD Group) to the old Aubergine space is we’re in a mode right now where we’d rather renovate existing space than invest in building a new space. It was more attractive financially for us to renovate the space. We’ve watched downtown become more saturated — we’ve been in this business seven years — and there is so much unused space now. The empty space is there. So, the main thing that attracted us to the Aubergine building is, from a financial standpoint, it made sense. Then, the location; the Aubergine four or five years ago was a vibrant club, and that location, the street — Fourth Avenue — has a lot of character. There’s a lot to offer there. There’s La Puerta, Café Sevilla, a few new restaurants. It’s the next emerging street, and it’s still centrally located. And, last, the building itself, the bones in the building, the wiring and the structure were in great shape, so it’s made for an easy renovation.

SDNN: What is the concept for FLUXX? What kind of atmosphere are you going to create there?

MG: We looked at a lot of different spaces. We had a concept in mind, the concept being a true dance club. And a novice would say, there is a lot of dance clubs downtown. But there really isn’t, if you think about it. The size of the dance floors or the flow of the room or the setup, in most places, is just not conducive to dancing. Most places are big lounges, or they are rooftop bars, and there are VIP areas, but if you look around it’s difficult to find a good, true dance club like they have in Vegas and New York and Miami. What we’re doing with FLUXX — from a renovation perspective — is similar to what we did with Side Bar. We’re knocking down walls, opening up the space, creating a flow; we’re increasing the flow (at FLUXX) and having one big open room with a good-sized dance floor and the most advanced lighting and sound system in San Diego by far. There’s not even a close second to the system we’re putting in. We’re really focused on making this a dance club, where you gotta come in and boogie. And if you don’t want to do that, it’s probably not for you.

SDNN: And in terms of the design, from the rendering, the space looks a little brighter, a little more whimsical than Side Bar, which is dark, seductive, a bit moody. Tell us what you’re trying to accomplish with the design at FLUXX.

MG: We’re always into creating the sexy, moody space. Side Bar definitely has that. I’d say sexy and moody are more synonymous with Side Bar, and vibe and energy are really going to be more synonymous with FLUXX. It’s going to be really high-energy, intense. One of the partners actually said when we saw the finished floor plan, “There’s no place to escape here.” And it’s true. Once you’re inside, once you walk through that tunnel and you’re in, you’ll be in it. It’s going to be like a live concert — sweaty, dancing, the energy, the vibe: it’s going to smack you across the face right when you walk in the door.

From a design standpoint, FLUXX is going to be a lot brighter (than Side Bar). There are a lot of organic elements — wood logs and grass. We’re trying to be as green as we can with this project. One neat thing: All the wood from the demolition was reclaimed, so it’s being used to build houses in Mexico. But from a design standpoint, you’re right, it’s a little more whimsical, more playful. It’ll have a great energy. In the rendering, you’ll see a picture of a lawn gnome, and there’s a lot of things like that; nods to the playful, to childhood. We’re working on an area now that could be like a tree house. So it’s very playful in that aspect. You’ll see lots of toys and fun things. And, we’ll be periodically changing elements of the place — to stay true to the name FLUXX — so you’ll see new things all the time. Who knows? You might see a bunch of tricycles one month.

SDNN: For a few years, we saw so many lounges and rooftop bars opening – but not many dance clubs. Is there a trend to return to that format?

MG: It’s hard to call it a trend. The traditional format of the true dance club has a lot of emphasis on lighting and sound. I grew up on the East Coast, so I went out in Miami and New York to the big dance clubs. And Vegas has big dance clubs. We saw an opportunity to bring something new and different to this market. We want to give everyone a place to dance — that’s what the girls really want. Whether there’s a designated dance floor or not, girls are going to dance. They’re going to find a place, and move people out of the way and dance. And if we cater that crowd, I think we’ll be successful.

SDNN: Why open a dance club in this economy? Is it risky?

MG: We heard the same question when we renovated Side Bar. When our family and friends heard we were reinvesting in Side Bar they thought we were nuts, but that proved to be a great investment. We’ve been in San Diego seven years and to be honest we haven’t seen the recession hit. I mean, we’ve seen it hit family and friends and my personal real estate, but the market as far as the restaurant, nightclub, bar scene, I haven’t seen it take much of a hit. We play in a very finite segment downtown and we really haven’t seen the dip. Numbers are still strong. Past projects we’ve worked on, the numbers are strong. So, from our perspective, FLUXX is a good investment. There are a lot more risky things to be putting your money into. But this business is still doing well and I think it will continue to do well. Once the economy changes, I think we’ll see downtown fill up again. And, we’re all still waiting to see if a new Chargers stadium makes it downtown. If so, that’ll be a huge boost. Our busiest night of the week at Side Bar is Wednesday night. And our Friday and Saturday crowds are as strong as anywhere, but Wednesday nights rival a Friday or Saturday anywhere in town. So we don’t see this as a risk. The market is still strong.

SDNN: Tell us a little about this lighting and sound system you’re putting in and who you’re working with on the project.

MG: We’re working with two firms, SJ Lighting and Sound Investment AV, both from outside San Diego. We do have a local company, Pro Systems, working on the project as well, but we wanted to bring in two, nationally recognized sound and lighting companies. They’ve done clubs in Miami, Vegas, New York. We really made an investment with these guys to try and take the lighting and the sound to another level. We want to attract national recognition and attract national talent. A lot of big name DJs won’t come to San Diego because the facilities aren’t here. They can certainly go to the House of Blues or 4 th & B — more traditional settings. But it’s hard to find a place that has a stage, and a space for live performances. We designed the layout so no matter where in the club you are you have an unobstructed view of the stage, of the DJ or live performer, and the flow of the club still works.

SDNN: When are you hoping to open FLUXX?

MG: The end of February would be ideal, but we’re at the mercy of the project. We’re trying to be more green, more energy efficient, and that requires a time investment. It’s worth it in the long run. February would be the ideal time. If it takes longer, it takes longer. We want to hire the right staff, and have them trained appropriately. We just want to make sure we do it right.

Joseph Peña is SDNN lifestyle editor. Email: Joseph.Peña (at) sdnn.com.

Tags: Davis Ink, Mike Georgopoulos, RMD Group, San Diego Aubergine, San Diego dance clubs, San Diego downtown, San Diego FLUXX, san diego gaslamp, San Diego nightlife, San Diego Side Bar, SDNN

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