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Andrew Sigwell, the former owner of Zoxx Social Club, 411 W. State St., watched the heavy equipment tear through the bar and garage that for generations had been a popular gathering place for GM workers, just steps from the main plant entrance, and in the nearly 20 years since the plant closed had continued to draw patrons from the surrounding neighborhood and beyond.

Zoxx closed its doors last summer in preparation for the demolition, after the city purchased the GM site and surrounding properties, including the bar property.

Sigwell reflected Thursday on the parallels in watching the GM plant come down in 2018, including remembering its large smokestack tumbling down.

The events of Thursday were are a sad reminder of that day, he said.

“It’s just sad, it was a part of history,” he said.

Desiree Wilson and her husband, Andy Wilson, bought the 64-year-old Zoxx Social Club in 2020 after Sigwell sold it. She said the months since Zoxx closed have for them been a mix of adjustment and loss.

“We’ve been managing OK,” Wilson said. “I’ve been able to focus on family and other things, but it’s hard every day not feeding that business side of me. I miss it. I miss my people. I miss our events.”

Wilson said she and her family remain active in the Janesville Deaf Club and still try to attend events at its new meeting location, Down the Street bar, 967 S. Jackson St., but said the transition hasn’t been easy.

“We’re still very much involved in JDC and try to make the open jams, but it just isn’t the same,” she said. “It makes us sad more often than not.”

She said moving on has been difficult, especially as former patrons continue to ask about the future of Zoxx.

“It’s hard when people are always asking, ‘Are you going to open another bar?’ or saying, ‘It’s not the same,’” Wilson said. “People still feel misplaced.”

Even with the building demolished, Wilson said the sense of community that formed at Zoxx has not disappeared.

“The building might be gone today, but the Zoxx family, the community, the army, whatever you want to call us, is louder and more present than ever,” she said. “We’ve had so much love and support pouring in. I’ve gotten so many messages from people just checking in. It’s been heartwarming in this heartbreaking situation.”

Wilson said she continues to be struck by how loyal people remain, even months after Zoxx’s closure.

“It’s weird that people are still so loyal to Zoxx even though we’ve been closed for about seven months,” she said. “What we built was really special and obviously something the city couldn’t tear down.”

Eric Hameister, president of the Janesville Deaf Club, shared in July that they had just gotten settled at Zoxx and then were told that it was closing. They started meeting soon afterward at Down the Street bar.

The Deaf Club had begun meeting at Zoxx in November 2023 after conversations between Andy Wilson and deaf community member Darrell Roby. Wilson, a Child of Deaf Adults, or CODA, worked closely with the deaf community to make the bar an accessible and welcoming space. Bartenders were able to sign, and the bar frequently closed to the public so Deaf Club members could fully use the space.

“It was acceptance without hesitation,” Hameister said in July. “That’s rare.”

During its time at Zoxx, the Deaf Club hosted bingo nights, holiday-themed parties, fundraisers, birthday celebrations and dart tournaments. Members also regularly interacted with the hearing community, teaching basic sign language and fostering connections that extended beyond the bar.

When the city announced plans to take over the property, Deaf Club leaders began preparing for relocation, though they hoped Zoxx could remain open or be included in future redevelopment plans.

“I didn’t understand why Zoxx couldn’t be part of what comes next,” Hameister said. “The GM workers found a home there like we did. I think future workers could have too.”