Liquid - How the sad end creates a big opportunity

With Luminar Holdings gone, Basingstoke's premier night club, Liquid, has closed its doors.  It is a sad time for the staff .  I'm surprised the administrators didn't keep the place open for a bit longer and cash in on the Christmas period that has always been the most profitable and give the staff a bit of notice that their jobs were going.

It will seem strange for Basingstoke not to have a night club, but we should have seen it coming.  I am old enough to remember Liquids predecessor, Martines, it cost money to get in, the drinks were expensive (everyone went to the Bass House first to get a few cheaper drinks inside them)  but after 11.00pm, it was the only bar open in town. I worked there for a while in the kitchen and behind the bar, it was hell, but strangely fun.  Now most of the town centre bars are still going at 2 or 3 in the morning, why pay to enter a club?

However the closure does represent an opportunity to undo the mistake that was created by two perfectly good ideas.  

When Festival Place was being built, it was always planning to have a club underneath it.  It was a good idea to have a noisy club under a shopping centre no one slept in.  It was not long after Festival Place got the go-ahead when another good idea came about.  To replace a crumbling office block with luxury apartments perfect for those who used the train station and wanted to live in the heart of all the amenities. Many moved or invested into Crown Heights before Liquid opened.

Problem was these two good ideas were across the road from each other and they have not been happy neighbours.  It was just last week that I sent an email to the Licensing team to oppose an extension to Liquids licence.

I can't see how another nighclub operator could make that site work where Liquid couldn't so perhaps it has a different future.  

With the increased popularity of ballroom dancing, could it go that way? open more of the day, but closed at midnight.  The same if it were a sports bar.  Loud rowdy but full time whistle before midnight.  It would be a shame for the venue to be closed for too long, but hope the Council make sure the next occupant doesn't want to stay open until 4.00 in the morning 7 days a week.