AUSTIN MUSIC HALL MAKEOVER
Music Hall makeover
Popular venue Austin Music Hall to add restaurant, increase capacity
By Joe Gross
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, July 10, 2006
With help from downtown developers, one of Austin's most popular — if least handsome — music venues will receive an extreme makeover next year.
Today, music production company Direct Events, along with the two developers of neighboring 360 Condominiums, Novare Group and Andrews Urban, plan to announce a reboot of the Austin Music Hall, the popular ballroom at 208 Nueces St., as part of the ongoing redevelopment of the Warehouse District's western sector.
Sixth River Architects
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After its renovation, shown in this rendering, Austin Music Hall will seat more people and allow less noise to reach neighbors' ears.
Ricardo B. Brazziell
AMERICAN-STATESMAN
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The Austin Music Hall as it stands right now.
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Planned renovations for the hall include a modernist exterior, a late-night restaurant, an increase in overall admission capacity from 3,000 to 4,000, and a new sound and light system, with LED screens throughout the venue. The overall square footage will increase from 22,000 to 42,000. The hall's seating capacity will increase from 1,800 to 2,800, and a new mezzanine will overlook the stage.
Direct Events owner Tim O'Connor estimates the project's cost at $5 million, which will be split among the two development companies and Direct Events.
"My best estimate is that it will probably be completed by June 1," O'Connor said Monday.
Andrews Urban president Taylor Andrews said he approached O'Connor about refurbishing the hall last summer.
"We realized the importance of music and entertainment around this block pretty early on in the development process," Andrews said. "This region is home to La Zona Rosa and soon to be the home of Ballet Austin. Tim welcomed the opportunity to work together to help with noise and aesthetic issues."
Noise is often a sore point between club owners and downtown businesses. Early on, the Hilton Austin Hotel on Fourth Street lodged a number of noise complaints regarding clubs on Sixth Street, and clubs are already rumbling about potential condos at the former Reddy Ice plant on Red River Street, located mere feet from Stubb's outdoor venue.
O'Connor says the redesign will incorporate sound-dampening material, and Andrews added that the proximity of live music is a crucial part of the area's attraction.
"Having the music venues this close is a huge draw for potential residents," Andrews said. "But we also want to be good neighbors. There will probably be residential development to the south and across the creek, so it's not just about the 360 Condos. We want residents of any of those buildings to realize the benefit of Austin Music Hall."
Andrews said the building will be designed in accordance with the "Great Streets" objective of wide sidewalks, ground-level retail and other neighborhood-building features.
"Upgrading the Music Hall to make it more pedestrian-friendly is directly in line with the Downtown Design Guidelines," said Eleanor McKinney, chairwoman of the City of Austin Design Commission.
The 360 Condominiums at West Third and Nueces streets will house 432 units. One-bedroom units start at less than $200,000, and two-bedroom units start at less than $300,000. The building is scheduled to open in late 2007.
The Austin Music Hall opened in 1995 as one of the city's largest venues. Over the years, it has hosted acts such Bruce Springsteen, rapper Paul Wall, heavy metal band Slayer, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton. It plays a key role in South by Southwest Music Festival and Conference, often showcasing the conference's biggest names in addition to the Austin Music Awards.
In January 2005, the hall hosted Willie Nelson's "Songs for Tsunami Relief: Austin to South Asia" show, benefiting victims of the tsunami that hit South Asia the day after Christmas in 2004. The venue also hosts private events as well as the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, an annual offering of arts and crafts, along with live music.
Project publicist Ryan Orendorf said the permitting process has already begun and the construction would be staged so that the facility could remain in operation.
Music fans have long complained about the Music Hall's unforgiving acoustics and the resulting mediocre sound. O'Connor said Austin acoustic designer Ken Dickensheets will design a house sound system, one that could be configured to accommodate anything from heavy metal to symphony orchestras.
"The acoustics are part of the design rather than an afterthought," Dickensheets said Monday. "Right now, there's a lot of sound energy coming out of the facility. You can hear the concerts as well outside as in. The new facility is going to somewhat control the sound coming out of the building so it doesn't bother the neighbors."
Dickensheets added that touring bands that bring their own sound equipment will be able plug in easily to the state-of-the-art house system. "This will give the audience good sound while keeping it under control," he said.
O'Connor hopes the hall's new size and look will improve Austin's chances to host big name touring acts that might otherwise play San Antonio. During the winter, it will enable Direct Events to book acts that might play the Glenn — the company's 5,000-capacity outdoor venue — during the summer months. The hall's new seating capacity will bring it in line with the 3,000-seat Bass Concert Hall, potentially making it attractive to touring theater groups as well.
How about the load-bearing pylons that sometimes obstruct clear views of the stage?
Andrews said: "Well, we're getting rid of those columns."
"This room has great potential," Dickensheets said. "It's the right venue at the right time."
Heres the article sorry for the delay, didn't see it on the site earlier.
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