On Sunday June 16, owners and management of Scorpio (previously located at 2301 Freedom Drive prior to closing its doors last November) posted a major development to social media: they’re reopening.
Although an exact date has not been set yet, a new site has been acquired. Considering the bar began its life in 1968 in the South Boulevard area, it seems fitting that it’s returning to a spot in the same part of town. A lot has changed in what is now known as South End since 1968, and the space the bar will be moving into is currently known as RSVP South End, located at 225 Fairwood Avenue.
In the Instagram post, owners of Scorpio announced they had acquired the business, which boasts 15,000 square feet and includes a sizable dance floor, three bars and two rooftops.
Ownership of the club is shared by three individuals: Michael Sharpton who had previously served as the GM of Scorpio for several years; Drew Wofford, who has 20 years of nightlife experience and brings along the bonus of making Scorpio a sister club to the popular Greensboro nightclub Chemistry; and a third silent partner who was also involved with Scorpio at the previous Freedom Drive location.
Qnotes spoke with Sharpton and Wofford about the latest developments with the club and what’s in the future for RSVP Southend, a nightclub that recently refocused their business strategy to special events facility just over a year after originally opening.
According to both men RSVP South End will continue to offer its special events facility and availability during the day and on off hours for private events. Scorpio will helm access to the bars, dance floor and the overall social environment during public hours. Depending on attendance, the bar may be open as often as seven days a week. The culture of the club will remain focused on the LGBTQ+ community.
Says Wofford: “RSVP has been purchased by Scorpio. We are offering previous RSVP staff the opportunity to stay on by interviewing for positions at Scorpio.”
Interestingly enough, one club isn’t canceling out the other, and the acquisition of RSVP by Scorpio will allow both brands to continue doing what they do best.
“Both brands will continue to operate,” Wofford confirms. “RSVP will handle the events element of Scorpio, leveraging its highly successful event business and experienced staff to maximize the use of the space, similar to how other large gay bars like The Manor in Wilton Manors operate.
“We are currently working on a new logo that will incorporate elements of both RSVP and Scorpio. The full name will be Scorpio RSVP Complex,” Wofford explains. He also indicates that Scorpio signage will be added to the exterior of the building and some branding will be implemented inside.
At the time Scorpio on Freedom Drive closed down, Sharpton told Qnotes that some of the interior architectural elements were being placed in storage for repurposing once another suitable location could be found.
“Yes, that is [still] our plan, says Sharpton. “The extent to which we can repurpose architectural elements before opening, and how much we will continue to add over time is still being determined.
“The name and legacy of Scorpio will move forward with us,” Sharpton adds. “Scorpio has successfully navigated a location change before and it will do so again.
“A building does not define our identity, it’s the people and memories we create within it. The space [will] allow us to expand and, equally important, provide the flexibility to create a more intimate atmosphere for weeknights, when needed.
“We [also] plan to restore many elements that were lost in the later years of Scorpio, such as our legendary house cast, drag pageants and diverse activities.”
According to the social media post, Scorpio has hired veteran drag performer Paisley Park as the club’s new entertainment director. Park brings with her over 30 years of experience in North Carolina’s drag scene, along with numerous titles, including Miss Millennium 2021 and Miss Catawba Valley Pride 2019. She’s also host of one of North Carolina’s longest running drag shows, “The Sex Kitten Roundup,” which will likely hit the stage of the new Scorpio.
Despite the unconfirmed opening date, Wofford and Sharpton are excited as staff and management work diligently to ensure all necessary changes are made and staff is in place for a smooth transition.
“RSVP will continue to operate previously scheduled events,” says Wofford, “while the nightclub element of the business, Scorpio, is finalized and integrated.”
Sharpton concurs. “Our goal is to have the smoothest possible opening, though we know that moving into a new space always presents challenges. It will take some time to get everything in place.”
Scorpio was the center of controversy in the LGBTQ+ community last year when it was announced they were closing and the Christian mega church Elevation would be moving into the space. To date, that has not happened and the former home for the club has remained completely vacant. In the past two months, there has been interest in an effort presented to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission so the site could possibly be declared historic.
“There has been an … appeal to Mecklenburg County to make 2301 Freedom Drive a historic landmark,” says Sharpton. “We fully support this effort and feel this is an appropriate recognition of a place that has meant so much to our community.”
A recent social media post by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission (CMHLC) called for community members with stories to tell and an interest in the preservation of the old Scorpio facility to contact CMHLC by visiting https://mecklenburg.co/3egeM62.
For more information on the latest developments with Scorpio visit their social media or website. For historic data, check out the archives of Qnotes.
