COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Nearly a year after an accidental fire forced the closure of several businesses in Downtown Colorado Springs, an LGBTQ bar among those closures is getting ready to open.
The owners of Icons said they are ready to open on Friday, November 8, after a nearly year-long effort to recoup their losses, raise money and rebuild in a new location.
“We weren’t sure if it was gonna work, the first time it did” Wolfe said, speaking about their initial opening in 2020, “we won best bar, you know, best bar overall in Colorado Springs by the community. And then when the fire happened, we were really thinking about if we should do it again.”
Months after the fire, the owners announced via Instagram that they were raising money to reopen.
“That’s when it really… we felt the outpouring of love from the community,” said Wolfe.
“It’s clear that people wanted this business to come back, and we’re thrilled that we were able to do it,” Franklin continued.
That support came from the Colorado Springs community, as well as from donors nationwide, with big names like Gloria Estefan donating to help them out.
“She also reached out, personally, we had an interaction, she was so lovely and just saw the need for the space, and also that it’s based around music really spoke to her,” Wolfe said.
With this support and a grant from the state, the owners said they saw a need for a safe space for the LGBTQ community in the heart of downtown, specifically.
“Well, currently, there is no official queer bar or space of any kind in the downtown area,” Franklin said. “Certainly gay friendly places that we like to go, and we know that our customers are welcome, but no one officially saying that. You know, we are a gay bar and we’re here for the community that’s been through so much, not not just in the past couple of years, with obviously the shooting at Club Q, but historically, Colorado Springs has been through a lot for any queer person that was born and raised here, like myself.”
That’s the need they said they want to fill.
“We felt an obligation to show up for the community that’s been showing up for us for the past four years,” Wolfe said. “I’m excited to welcome people home.”
Icons will open their doors back up at their new location near Kiowa and N. Cascade on November 8.
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