Royal Esquire Club 2011 ©, photo by 4Culture staff
Royal Room jazzes up Columbia City
We love it at 4Culture when our grant-making supports the community in more than one of our four program areas. We found that sweet spot between preservation and the arts with the recent restoration of storefronts at the old City Sash & Door Company building on Rainier Avenue in Columbia City. The building’s been the home of the Royal Esquire Club, a venerable African-American social club, since 1985. Now it’s sharing space with an exciting new music venue known as the Royal Room.
Composer/pianist Wayne Horvitz collaborated with local entrepreneurs (Achilles Productions, LLC), on a vision to create a casual studio-like space for local musicians. Their goal was to offer up a welcoming neighborhood hang-out – family-friendly, open to all music genres, with a restaurant, bar, and stage that encourages exploration and innovation. After a whirlwind of preparation this fall, the Royal Room opened December 16th to a packed house eager to welcome a new kind of venue to this vibrant historic district.
The Royal Esquire Club stretches for a full block below Hudson Street along Rainier Avenue in the heart of Columbia City. The building has been well-cared for over the years, but the street façade was obscured by plywood covering up all the interesting old storefronts. Although lively on the inside, the outside was pretty opaque and lifeless. It formed a visual barrier that felt like the southern “end” of Columbia City.
With the help of a $24,000 Landmark Challenge Grant from 4Culture, matched dollar for dollar by the Achilles folks, off came the plywood and back came the big retail display windows, transom lights, and recessed entryway that once invited customers in off the street. What a transformation for this high-visibility corner of the historic neighborhood! Now the streetscape pops with the new lighting, paint colors, classy signage, and the sounds of music floating out into the night. Check it out!
