For a couple of months now, Epic's neon art-deco sign has lit up the corner of 5th St. and 2nd Av. N. in downtown Minneapolis.
But what's going on inside this former location of the infamous Quest nightclub? Eager clubgoers will finally get a peek when Epic opens in early December.
While the concert schedule hasn't been finalized -- concerts being the club's primary focus -- a few events have been booked for the next few weeks. Your best bet might be Epic's big New Year's Eve party. There's also a fashion show Dec. 14 and an afterparty for R. Kelly's Dec. 20 concert at Target Center.
The space at 110 N. 5th St. was a nightclub for 16 years, first with Prince's Glam Slam and then the Quest, which closed in late 2006 after a string of problems, including licensing issues with the city and then water damage from a rooftop fire.
When the building's owner, Ned Abdul, went looking for a new tenant in early 2007, he found Karma owner John Barlow. The two created a new team and founded Epic. Barlow has said the club does not plan on having regular dance nights. Instead, Epic is positioning itself primarily as a concert venue and special-events hall (it's already booked for several events during the Republican National Convention next September).
I got a look this week as construction workers put the final touches on the lavish nightspot. While the general layout is familiar -- those pesky pillars in front of the stage are still there -- all remnants of the Quest are gone.
The new owners gutted the space and rebuilt it at a reported cost of $3.5 million. Here's a quick look at Epic's biggest bells and whistles:
• The first thing you'll notice is the addition of a grand staircase that takes you to the second level.
