The former Belk-Jones Department Store on East Broad Street downtown is about to see some radically different days and, in particular, nights.

Texarkana’s newest and perhaps most mysterious club and concert venue opens Saturday night in the landmark building at East Broad and Walnut streets.

Called Purple Rain, the cavernous nightspot combines a dance club and live concert space on the first floor and, upstairs, a VIP lounge. An escalator transports clubgoers to a dark, richly red-themed lounge area, where members will get the very best in pampered treatment.

Since billboard ads in town first announced Purple Rain’s impending arrival, the club has fueled talk and gossip alike among clubgoers and the curious in town. One North State Line Avenue billboard touts the club as a place to sport that “little black dress.”

Three business partners have joined forces to get Purple Rain up and running: Clay Mitchell, Chad Mullins and Bobby Hamilton.

“We’ve always wanted to do more of a disco-type club as opposed to rock or anything like that,” said Mitchell, adding they also had interest in a more upscale lounge environment.

Add to the mix their experience with live music, and now you have a multifaceted entertainment venue. This combination of live music, lounge and dance floor is not unusual for markets like Dallas, said Mitchell.

The main room with the dance floor is decked out in a purple look, but there’s also a “jade” side room for groups, a nook for pool tables, and the red-themed lounge. Posh restrooms will be staffed by attendants. The dance floor has moving spotlights and, at each side, falling water to simulate rain.

“It actually has pumped purple lights on it so the rain is literally purple around the dance floor at various times of the night,” Mitchell said.

About the dress code, they say no baseball hats. T-shirts? If they’re Abercrombie & Fitch or the like. The code could best be described as dressy casual, but a coat and tie are not required.

“The disco is dance music,” said Mitchell. You can expect to hear music from the ’70s to contemporary days.

“I think early in the night we’re going to probably start in the disco area, take care of the older crowd ... then go up into the real current techno trance later in the night,” said Mullins, adding hardcore rap won’t be played.

On the live side, all sorts of bands will be on the calendar, including regional bands from other areas.

“We can fill just about every music genre,” said Mitchell. He said what’s going on in the live venue won’t interfere with what people are enjoying in other parts of the club.

Mullins and Mitchell previously ran the club Caliente between Horatio and De Queen, Ark.

“Chad and I were in the club business before and we’ve always, probably upwards of 20 years, wanted to do something in Texarkana, and most of that time we wanted to do something downtown,” explained Mitchell.

After looking for years, they committed to the old Belk-Jones spot. They’ve been renovating for about 10 months.

“The building started out as Belk-Jones. Now what it was prior to Belk-Jones I don’t know. I do know that Mr. Jones has told us that the actual foundation, parts of it, were poured in 1929,” said Mitchell, sitting down last week as work crews finished preparations. “The building is 43,500 square feet.”

Belk-Jones operated in the building until 1987, after which M&M Fabrics and Antique Mall stayed there until the building was purchased last year, said Mitchell. The building has been continuously occupied, he said.

“It needed some work but it wasn’t dilapidated,” he said about the building’s functional condition. “We’ve upgraded, updated and increased the performance of just about everything in the building.”

The character of the building is one reason they selected the Belk-Jones spot.

“The building itself has tons of character—one reason we chose it. It’s got so many levels, and it’s not just a big box,” said Mitchell.

The escalator works, he said, but they’re still in the process of updating it. They hope to have it done by opening night.

He said the club name arose from the trend to name new clubs after elements or colors in nightlife hotspots like Miami. He said at their other club they’d often end the night playing the song “Purple Rain” by Prince, but he downplayed the connection to the R&B rock star.

“It really didn’t have a lot to do with the name as much as everybody thinks it is,” said Mitchell.

The club will be open Thursday through Saturday nights from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. The $7 cover charge gets you access to the live side and disco. To be a part of the VIP lounge scene, there’s an annual fee of $300.

“It is by selection only. You don’t just apply and get it. You actually have to go through a selection process,” said Mitchell, noting there’s “various and sundry things” they’re looking for, including people who can afford the service and will use the service.

“It’s very service-based for very discriminating people. Our motto is we never say no, and so if you’re up there and you’re having a drink and you decide you want a steak from the Cattleman’s, we’ll go get it for you,” said Mitchell.

To kick off the club opening, Texarkana band Jawbone plays in the live concert venue on Saturday night.

It shouldn’t be hard to find. Just seek out a building whose Broad Street entrance is bathed in purple lights.