Built from the ashes. Reimagined for connection.
How a fire, two years, and a whole lot of stubborn hope became The PHNX.
In May 2023, the building burned to the ground.
We lost the walls, but we never lost the reason we were here. We're Andrew and Candace Rape, and we've called Trussville home since 1997. This corner of downtown has always mattered to us, so when the original building was gone, walking away was never the plan.
What we kept was harder to burn down: a belief that a place built around people is worth rebuilding, no matter how long it takes.
"We didn't lose the reason we were here. We lost the walls. So we built new ones."
106 weekends. One borrowed room.
For two years and two weeks, while the new building took shape, we kept showing up in a borrowed space down the road. Every Friday night we set the room up by hand, and every Sunday we tore it back down. One hundred and six weekends in a row.
It was exhausting and it was humbling, and it taught us exactly what we wanted The PHNX to be. Not a sterile rental hall. A space that feels cared for, because it was built by people who care.
The doors finally opened.
On May 23, 2025, we opened The PHNX at 139 Railroad Street: a modern private event venue with 28-foot ceilings, natural light through four glass bay doors, a covered patio, and clean lines that let every event become its own. It is, quite literally, built from the ashes.
Friends showed up to move flooring. People said "we've got it" and meant it. The building you'll stand in on your wedding day or your daughter's first birthday is the result of all of that belief, poured into steel and brick and, finally, into a place where your people can gather.
A family business. Not a front desk.
Andrew designed the building and keeps it running behind the scenes. Candace is the one you'll talk to, plan with, and meet when your doors open.
When you book The PHNX, you're not working with a faceless company or a rotating staff. You're working with the family who rebuilt this place and who genuinely cares that your event turns out the way you imagined it.
From the ashes, stronger than before.
Andrew and Candace make Trussville home.
A fire takes the original building to the ground.
106 weekends in a borrowed space while the new building goes up.
The PHNX opens its doors at 139 Railroad Street.
This isn't just our dream. It's a reflection of every person who walked with us through the fire and into this next chapter. We're humbled by what's come to life here, and we'd love for your story to be part of it.
Andrew & Candace Rape
Let's find your date.
Schedule a tour
Tours are by appointment. Tell us what works for you and we'll set a time.
Request a tourBook your date
Found your weekend? Send us the details and we'll walk you through the next steps.
Start your bookingRather talk it through? (205) 634-1310 · events@phnxtrussville.com