Ponte Vedra Concert Hall to get multimillion-dollar upgrade, including additional seating
The Ponte Vedra Concert Hall will expand its seating capacity by about 25% and make additional upgrades in a multimillion-dollar grant-funded project approved by the St. Johns County Commission.
The commission approved the $5.4 million project at the end of a recent meeting during commissioner comments at Chair Henry Dean's prompting. The proposal was not on the agenda.
Approving the funding required the commission to suspend the board rule that says any requests for over $5,000 have to be on the regular agenda or consent agenda. Had it been on the agenda, the public would have had notice before the meeting and time to prepare to comment on the project.
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The grant funds were already included in the next fiscal year's proposed budget, which will be voted on in September. But commissioners approved moving the funding to the current budget so it can be spent now.
"With the expansion, they can accommodate more concertgoers and raise more revenue," Dean said, adding that the project will also contribute to the cultural experience.
The county government runs both the concert hall and the St. Augustine Amphitheatre through the Cultural Events Division. The division received $8.9 million in grants from the Small Business Administration's Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, according to a news release from the Cultural Events Division. The grants were meant to help the live entertainment industry weather the negative economic impacts of COVID-19.
The County Commission approved spending $5.4 million of the grant funds on the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall "Balcony Project." The money is already in-hand, according to the county.
“We were ecstatic when we received the news,” Gabriel Pellicer, general manager of the Cultural Events Division said in the release. “We look forward to elevating the venue experience for patrons and artists, and ultimately continuing to build upon the success of these past 10 years.”
As it stands, the project is expected to increase the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall’s seating capacity from 486 seats to 608. The project will "reimagine" the building and upgrade food and beverage areas, restrooms, a staircase and an elevator and provide more gathering spaces, according to the release.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2023, at the earliest. Events and programs will pause during construction.
The Concert Hall was built in 2011 from the foundation of a Baptist church. The venue hosts up to 140 concerts and events each year, according to the release.
"Ponte Vedra Concert Hall’s diverse programming has brought some of the biggest names in live entertainment, including rock and roll legends like Graham Nash, Art Garfunkel and Lindsey Buckingham, emerging artists such as country-blues singer Charley Crockett and soulful bass-guitarist Thundercat, as well as renowned comedians like Kathleen Madigan and Rob Schneider," according to the Cultural Events Division.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Ponte Vedra Concert Hall to add seats, make other upgrades with grants
