With only hours until Space officially celebrates 12 years of uhntz-uhntz and afterhours parties, the Downtown Miami megaclub's owner, Louis Puig, seems to be in a conquering mood.
This morning at 9:51 a.m., the longtime nightlife impresario sent out a superexcited 700-word statement to "friends, colleagues and family" on the occasion of his club's anniversary.
Calling out the early "naysayers" and "Space doubters," Puig writes, "When I first started Space back in 2000, many people called me crazy for attempting to establish a nightclub venue away from South Beach and in an abandoned warehouse located in the middle of a dilapidated neighborhood in Downtown Miami."
But, he adds, "even South Beach was once a crime-ridden danger zone ... [And] twelve years later, we have beaten the odds, and we have succeeded, and dominated, where others have predicted our failure and demise."
See the cut to read Louis Puig's full Space 12th Anniversary message.
From Louis Puig, Owner of Club Space
To all my friends, colleagues and family,
I am very proud to announce that this Saturday will be our 12th Year Anniversary at Space.
When I first started Space back in 2000, many people called me crazy for attempting to establish a nightclub venue away from South Beach and in an abandoned warehouse located in the middle of a dilapidated neighborhood in Downtown Miami. Veteran club owners, promoters and the social scene press all doubted the success of a nightclub in a bad neighborhood that hadn't seen any significant commercial activity in over forty years.
But, I reminded my Space Team and the naysayers, that even South Beach was once a crime-ridden danger zone. Just take a look back to the early 1980s at Scarface or at classic episodes of Miami Vice. Sure, this is fiction, but it was not too far off the mark. I remember when every corner on South Beach had a police camera because the police could not keep up with the criminals.
It was back then, in the 80's, that I was involved with and worked at legendary clubs such as Club Z (now Mansion), Club Nu, OVO at The Warsaw Ballroom and the original Cameo. Before I was the "Downtown Pioneer," I was a South Beach pioneer. Back then, before Madonna and Hollywood discovered "SoBe" people also thought we were crazy. Look at SoBe now. So it is no fluke that Space was and is the success it is today.
There are a lot of things you can't tell from just looking at a man and you should never judge him or call him crazy specially without knowing what drives him. What the Space doubters could not see was my love and passion for creating and making people happy. It was with this love and passion that in March of 2000 Space was created. We opened Space up with great fanfare and presented the Miami and SoBe nightclub scene with its largest and most sophisticated venue yet. You all remember the three massive rooms at the original Space located just down the block at 142 NE 11th St and that now-legendary Space Patio. What? People partying in a patio on Sunday morning and in plain daylight? Now that is crazy!
Now, twelve years down the line, I am proud to say that we not only prevailed, but we have thrived. The past year, 2011, actually proved to be our most successful yet, and 2012 is shaping up to be even better. Furthermore, I'm proud to say that Space truly helped make Downtown. Where there was once desolate lots and abandoned warehouses now stands a massive complex of soaring condo towers, boutique restaurants, high-end shops, and vastly improved infrastructure and public works.
Even to this day, the improvement of Downtown continues, still spurred on by that initial pioneering spirit that we created with the establishment of Space. Projects like the Miami Tunnel and the new megaresort are in the works. Thanks to you, twelve years later, we have beaten the odds, and we have succeeded, and dominated, where others have predicted our failure and demise.
No man is an island, and the success of Space is proof of your love and support. We all came together to produce the most successful dance club in the United States, and we have the awards, accolades, and public recognition to show for it. It wasn't easy, but nothing truly satisfying ever is. I would never trade this experience for anything in the world, and I am sincerely glad that you all have been and are a part of the sensation that is Space.
This Saturday, May 12th, we celebrate twelve years of memories, music, happiness, friendship, dancing, love and success. We have gathered a fine collection of some of the best DJ talent in town to provide the music for this evening, along with plenty of visual and performance entertainment, and of course our trademark Space hospitality. I invite you all to be my guest this Saturday night as I and my Space Team celebrate the long journey that we have taken, and the amazing road that is still ahead for Space.
With all my LOVE,
Louis Puig
Space's 12th Anniversary Party. Saturday, May 12. Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami. The party starts at 10 p.m. and tickets cost $20 to $30 plus fees via wantickets.com. Ages 21 and up. Call 305-375-0001 or visit clubspace.com.
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