According to a July 1 press release, South Beach originally opened in 2001 but shut down in 2018 for renovations. When the nightclub was prepared to open again, the pandemic changed its plans.
“We remained closed as we waited for the majority of the population to become vaccinated for protection against COVID,” South Beach owner Charles Armstrong said in the release. “Two years ago, we were in unchartered territory, and I had a moral problem packing a dance floor full of people in the middle of a health crisis.”
Armstrong is known as the “mayor of Montrose” and is also responsible for another famous LGBTQ club, JR’s Bar & Grill—the area’s oldest continuously open gay bar, the release said.
With the reopening of South Beach, Armstrong said he hopes to elevate the area's nightlife with a remodeled aesthetic that is inspired by much of Montrose’s midrises and high-rise apartments. According to the release, Armstrong describes South Beach as “Restoration Hardware meets Montrose.”
Upon walking into the eclectic space, guests will be greeted with “high-end” materials chosen by Armstrong and his designer, John Robinson, such as rich mahogany, marble, black granite and oak wood flooring; a 450-pound, 8-foot quartz crystal chandelier; ice jets; and LED lighting effects, the release said.
“Technology may have changed the way people do things, but the human desire for life-affirming celebrations ... remains the same,” Armstrong said. “People want to be together, and I’m going to give them just that with the ultimate house party.”
