Long-delayed Lansing music venue to open
LANSING — Grewal Hall at 224 is opening this weekend after months of delays, permitting the return of a major live music venue to downtown Lansing.
The city has issued a temporary occupancy certificate, after life and safety issues were addressed and the venue is ready to open, said Scott Bean, a city spokesperson.
The entertainment venue is hosting comedian Steve Hofstetter for a Friday show, kicking off an opening weekend with The Happy Fits on Saturday and Big Gigantic on Sunday.
"We are very excited to welcome the Lansing community through our doors this weekend," said Jenna Meyer-Wagner, part of the venue's management, in a statement. She encouraged people get tickets at grewalhall.com or at the door.
The venue's first announced opening was in July.
In mid-September, Kevin Meyer, part of the ownership group and a former director of Common Ground Music Festival, said construction delays had pushed back the schedule several times.
"We are as anxious and excited as anybody and we can't wait," Meyer said, at the time.
The 224 S. Washington Square venue is in a century-old space that once was part of Knapp's, a department store, and was a nightclub before becoming the Blue Night Hookah Lounge. The space had been vacant since 2018.
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Meyer said, in September, that the venue is expected to have a capacity of around 900 people. For smaller shows, such as comedians or business events, the venue can put out chairs for a seated crowd of about 400, and, for weddings or celebrations, it could fit about 225 people with tables.
The aim is to have a venue for regional touring acts or local acts that can draw crowds somewhere between the small bar and large arena sizes, Meyer has said.
Grewal Hall will be able to host concerts, weddings, charity events, trade shows and more.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor has said the venue is considered a key part of transforming downtown Lansing after the pandemic and remote work have changed the downtown's economy.
Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415
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This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Grewal Hall to open after months of delays
