Two entrepreneurs are looking to revive nightlife in Downtown Staunton through a new social club they call The Box.
Kevin Ross and Alejandro Circelli are working to revamp the old Tempest Bar & Lounge on Central Avenue, which has been sitting dormant since its closing.
“Our goal is to try to have at least two to three monthly parties in the space that are all catered to different demographics, different event styles, different needs,” said Ross.
The duo has its first event on the calendar for later this week, July 25, to get feedback on what the community would like to see for creative venue that offers space for nearly 250 people.
The soft opening on Friday night will run from 7 to 11 p.m. for ages 18 and up, with light snacks and cocktails. Advance tickets are recommended. Tickets may be purchased online, at the door or at Billy Opal or Bricks Restaurant and Pub.
“People understand that it can take a village to get a business off the ground, and we are really leaning on community members … it’s really a if we build it, will you come kind of mentality, and we’re just kind of taking it one step at a time,” said Ross.
“We have a big vision, but the soft opening party is going to be very much about reintroducing people to the space.”
Two changemakers with a shared vision
Ross and Circelli met two years ago and found they had a lot in common: especially the desire to be changemakers in Staunton.
Ross, a transplant from New York City, and Circelli, who moved to the area from Los Angeles, both have worked tirelessly in the entertainment and nightlife scene and have strong backgrounds in marketing.
Ross is known for his Stellar Disco DJ services, and Circelli, in part, as The Alejandro Queen, putting together both drag and pride events.
While the two have been already made a mark on the entertainment scene in and around Staunton, they are ready to step it up with The Box.
“We both saw some of the gaps in the businesses and in the demographic of the community, and we wanted to be part of that change,” Ross said. “For the last few years, we’ve both been kicking around ideas.”
They were put in contact with the owner of the building two or three months ago, and the owner was eager to see something new in the space.
“With this space having been empty for over a year, the owner is very much ready to see some action in there rather than just let everything collect more dust and just sit stagnant,” Ross said.
“We want to inject a little life – kind of wake everybody up again – and that’s everybody from 75-year-olds, moms and dads, and really, all walks of life,” Ross said.
The Box: A safe space to find common ground
As residents of Staunton, Ross and Circelli, both queer, feel there aren’t enough safe spaces for people to meet friends and allies.
It isn’t just the queer community they feel are being left out: they also think that Mary Baldwin students, and their buying power, are often ignored. They also have heard from senior citizens who just don’t feel like there are enough places where they feel welcome.
“We want people to recognize that it’s going to take some planning and some effort and open minds and open ears and maybe some open wallets to encourage this to move off the ground quicker,” said Ross. “We’ve got a lot of plans, and we want to make sure that everyone sees our vision and that they feel seen and heard as well.
“We want the environment and the aesthetic and just the overall feel of the space to allow you to sort of wash away your day at work or your family stresses or your anxieties and just know that whatever party is happening in the space is going to welcome you in.
“Whether you are a straight country boy who has lived in Augusta County your whole life, or a black retired Marine who just got here last week, or you’re a new trans student coming to Mary Baldwin, we all live in this town. We all pay taxes in this town. We all shop and eat in this town. We walk by each other in this town. There’s no reason that we all can’t share and celebrate the community in the same space.”
The Box founders said they have no plans to be political, but they do hope the space might provide an avenue to find common ground no matter who you are. For example, they want heterosexual people to come face to face with queer people – and hopefully, find some middle ground and eliminate some of the hate that comes with stereotypes.
“We just live in a time of just so much fear and so much political climate, just horrible things happening,” Circelli said. “The Box will be refreshing. It’s all about coming together.”
“This is an opportunity to meet people different than you. You’re dancing with these people, you are socializing with them. You have faces to names and maybe you can humanize some of these paper issues,” Circelli said. “Maybe if we can change some minds, that would be another benefit.”
Once the soft opening is behind them, they hope the community will want more. At least one August event is already in the planning process and will be announced after Friday.
“We want people to feel excited, to feel happy to dance and not want to leave, like going to your grandma’s house or the cool mom’s house,” said Circelli. “We want people to be like, when’s the next event?”
For more information, connect on Instagram, Facebook or by email at [email protected].
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Crystal Graham
