The Phoenix nightclub is back and better than ever in new location with updated technology

The Phoenix Underground closed down five years ago, but Tim Huck wasn't done with it yet.

Now, the legendary club has a new home in a historic downtown building with custom LED installations and three floors to party on.

Huck didn't intend to ever open another nightclub again, but a low bid on the 24,000sqft historic building that he didn't think they would take has brought him back to doing what he loves.

His vision to create a high-energy upscale venue that has state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems has come to life in four short months.

“I have missed what Phoenix Underground used to be, I have missed Shreveport and Bossier having an upscale nightclub and I’ve missed throwing the parties.”

Huck has been in this industry since he was 18 after walking into a nightclub owned by his mentor Randy James and watching the general manager .

He began as a floorwalker and made his way from bar-back to bartender, then on to assistant manager and finally manager. He moved on to work with Keith Lawyer Management where he was trained to design, build and fix things going on in nightclubs and from there.

Huck stays busy with his sports bar Sandbar, Notini's Restaurant, TBH Construction, Advance Services of Louisiana, HAH Investments, Tim Huck Management and is Chairman of the Developmental Disabilities Administration. Despite the amount of other projects he has going on, the nightclub business has stayed his one true love.

“My passion still lies in the nightclub industry. When this place is full, and the dancefloor is going and everyone is smiling and having a good time, it’s literally a high that I can’t describe.”

The building was built in 1895 and Huck wanted to preserve special elements of the building while incorporating updated technology, he loved the bones of the building and the history that it had. The original exposed brick, wood flooring and rafters were all cleaned up but kept their old charms while being surrounded by upscale LED lights, handmade epoxy tables and artwork and the area's first 3-D LED Voxel installation.

“The more I looked at it, the more I loved the building itself and had the desire to build something really nice in here.”

None of this could have been possible without an amazing crew working literally day and night the last four months to get the place running before New Year's Eve.

Design engineer JoJo Lacy works at Phoenix Underground and uses the latest in construction technology like 3D printing while creative technologist and designer John Lomax of PixelSlant Creative brings Huck's high-tech vision to life. Lacy is so dedicated he even has a trailer out back where he takes power naps in between the day and the night crews working to keep the ball rolling.

Ultimately, Huck wanted a place where people could come in and get the feeling that they were in a high-end nightclub like you see in Vegas, Dallas and Miami.

The Phoenix is located at 400 Commerce St. and is open Thursday - Saturday 9p.m. - 6a.m. You can check out their Facebook to keep up with special events and musical guests.

Meredith G. White is the arts and culture reporter for the Shreveport Times. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Twitter as @meredithgwhite, and email her at mgwhite@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Popular nightclub The Phoenix gets a facelift in a new location