Save Queen Bee's as San Diego's community and cultural hub

From salsa nights to slam poetry, goth gatherings to line dancing, graffiti art to fashion shows, Queen Bee's Art and Cultural Center in North Park has long given San Diego artists a place to create.

For nearly 16 years, Queen Bee's and its owner and director Alma Rodriguez have supported local creatives by offering space in its Ohio Street location where they can try new things, succeed beyond their wildest dreams – and even fail, get up and try again.

Now, Queen Bee's needs our help. Alma needs our help.

Last summer, Allen Hitch, the owner of the building at 3925 Ohio St., passed away. Allen was a friend and mentor to Alma, and together they dreamed of the building remaining the home of Queen Bee's far beyond both of their lifetimes.

But because of how legal agreements are shaking out in the aftermath of Allen's death, the building could end up in the hands of developers who have a very different vision for the space – turning it into more condos or apartments like the ones going up all over North Park.

While San Diego needs more housing – particularly affordable housing – it also needs its cultural spaces.

There is a chance to save the building, by requesting that the city recognize its historical significance and grant an official historical designation.

We hope that would allow Queen Bee's to continue to call the building home. But even if Queen Bee's has to move, it would preserve the building in the memory of all that has happened there, from the original owner of Dixie Lumber to the Hitch family to Queen Bee's cultural contributions.

The historical designation process isn't cheap. We need to raise about $15K to cover the work on the needed report as well as the filing fees.

Beyond that, we are raising additional funds to help Alma in her fight to keep Queen Bee's, either at its current location or moving to another one. The legal battles over the past year have depleted much of her savings, and now it is our turn as the community to have her back as she has always had ours.

We saved Queen Bee's once in 2020 when it had to shutter its doors like every other venue in the city due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We can do it again, as a community.

Every dollar helps. Thank you for your support.