The Masquerade has announced it will move temporarily to Underground Atlanta, reopening its iconic Heaven, Purgatory and Hell across spaces in Kenny’s Alley. The move is slated to happen in October.
According to Creative Loafing, the nightclub and music venue worked out a deal with South Carolina-based developer WRS, Inc., which plans to revamp Underground into a live/shop development with retail and residential space, including a supermarket.
Curbed Atlanta first reported last week that The Masquerade might move to Underground Atlanta rather than a contested space in West Midtown.
The Masquerade was supposed to leave the former Excelsior Mill on North Avenue – its home for nearly 30 years – in August to make room for North + Line, a mixed-use development of apartments, restaurants and retail. The club secured a new venue in an old warehouse space at 1421 Fairmont Ave., but Brock Built homes, which is developing a residential subdivision behind the property, filed at injunction. Brock Built said three potential homeowners scuttled plans to buy in the West Town development when they learned The Masquerade would be their new neighbor.
Sad that gentrifiers come into the city and then try to kill of that which defines “CITY Living!” Would love to see The Masquerade in Underground Atlanta, as it is close to transit and in a neighborhood that would benefit from a new venue.
Regardless, we all need to rally behind The Masquerade to keep it open, and keep it ITP!
John, how do you know that “gentrifiers” are in fact coming into the city to kill “CITY living”?
I am one of the potential buyers that backed out of purchasing on of the homes being built adjacent to the Masquerade’s proposed Westside location. I also attended MANY shows at the Masquerade over the years.
I have lived in Home Park (beside Georgia Tech), Blandtown/Underwood Hills, Cabbagetown, and many other ITP neighborhoods during the last 20 years. I recognize that there are compromises that one has to make if one wants to live ITP. (Increased traffic, increased land value and taxes, zoning issues, development, noise, etc.)
I currently live in Blandtown/West Midtown less than a half mile from the new Brock Built homes and proposed home of the Masquerade and have been here for the last 5 years.
My family is expanding and we need more room, we love this neighborhood and would like to remain apart of it, and we can’t afford other new construction homes in the area that are easily priced in the $800Ks.
The Brock Built homes represent a great option for us. More room, stand alone house vs. townhome, same great location we have now, and a price point that is within our budget.
However, I cannot in good conscience, make the decision to attempt to raise a family less than 300ft away from a concert venue. Especially if that concert venue has a poorly developed parking and transportation solution AND no plan to mitigate noise in the surrounding neighborhood.
Let’s address parking and transportation first – According to the various permits and plans that the Masquerade has submitted to the city for planning, building and alcohol licensing, the Masquerade approximates 900 to 1700 patrons on any given night. (7 days a week beginning as early as 5 pm and running as late as 1 to 2 am) The site has 130 parking spaces. Fairmont Ave., the street on which the new location resides, is so overgrown in places as to make it effectively a one lane street. Huff Rd. which represents the only way to get to Fairmont Ave. is a narrow two lane road that already suffers from significant disrepair and traffic congestion from the current development in the area. If the Masquerade were to relocate to 1421 Fairmont Ave. as proposed, Huff Rd. traffic would become unbearable during large concerts and parking would most certainly bleed into the surrounding neighborhoods.
Not let’s talk about noise – The Masquerade’s shows tend to be punk, hardcore, metal, EDM, and hip-hop show right? Those genres of music tend to be louder and/or bass heavy. We all know that bass, low frequency sound, travels further and penetrates through many building materials. The building in which the Masquerade wants to move is a single story metal frame light industrial warehouse that is skinned in brick and topped with a membrane roof. Not exactly great for sound attenuation and reduction. Sound will most certainly affect the homes that are as close as 60ft from the Masquerade. (remembering that show may run as late as 1-2 am)
These are the two major problems I have with the proposed location of the Masquerade on the Westside.
I would love for the Masquerade to remain open and remain ITP. That being said, I also do not want to live immediately next door to it.