Local

Ponte Vedra Concert Hall gets nearly $10 million facelift

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Ponte Vedra Concert Hall is getting a nearly $10 million makeover in hopes of attracting more business to the city.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

The building was built in 1980 and served as a church until 2011 when it was transformed into a live music venue called Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. Now, it’s getting its second renovation.

St. Augustine Beach Mayor Dylan Rumrell said, “As you renovate, the bands get bigger, the crowds get bigger, and the economic impact gets bigger. It’s so exciting what we’re about to transform the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall into.”

Plans include a second-floor balcony, outdoor terraces on both floors, stadium-style seating on the first floor, new projection, audio systems, and a 20% total capacity increase.

The venue will go from 250 permanent seats to more than 600.

Since this live music venue opened in 2011, it has brought in over 400,000 people. Organizers believe that the number will increase.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Gabriel Pellicer, CEO of SJC Cultural Events Inc. said, “It was heavily supported by the community. That show was sold out. From there, we made some renovations. We turned it into what you see right now. We had over 1,000 shows.”

Residents in the area have been asking for this project while maintaining the building’s history.

Joy Andrews, St. Johns County Administrator said, “I spoke with a lot of residents. They take so much pride in what they have. They also want the quality of life on a larger scale. We are giving them both with this project.”

This project cost nearly $10 million. The money is coming from a federal grant called the Shuttered Venue Operators.

Construction will start May 1st. This building will be closed off to the public. The renovation is expected to be complete early next year.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.