Lansing unveils plans for 2,025-person music and arts venue 'The Ovation'

After years of planning and consideration, officials are ready to build a performing arts venue in downtown Lansing. 

City officials on Tuesday unveiled plans for The Ovation, a four-story music and arts space at South Washington Avenue and Lenawee Street. The city will need to raise about $11 million more in funding before the $21 million project can be completed. 

As designed, The Ovation will have a standing capacity of 2,025 people between its two-story main stage and balcony or 1,200 people seated on the main floor. Current plans also call for a smaller, secondary stage with room for 275 people.

The venue will not serve as the primary space for the Lansing Symphony Orchestra as originally planned when it received $2 million in state funding last fall. However, the LSO does plan to perform at the new venue in smaller chamber ensembles or new types of performances, according to Lansing Mayor Andy Schor.

More:Lansing gets go-ahead $2M for performing arts center in state budget

Booking for the venue will be handled by a third party and not by the city, according to Dominic Cochran, director of the Lansing Public Media Center. 

"We foresee the facility being managed by a group, like a board or possibly a newly formed entity that will oversee contracts with a property management firm for the residential component and booking agencies for the actual concert hall," he said. 

The Ovation will also include retail space, office and studio space for the Lansing Public Media Center, and multi-purpose community rooms for local nonprofits, school groups and community event rentals

The third and fourth floors of the building will consist of about 40 live-work spaces for artists ranging from about 300 to 750 square feet. 

“For decades, Lansing has needed a concert and performing arts venue," Schor said in a written statement. "This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to bring concerts, community events, educational opportunities, speeches, comedy, and so many other live performances together in a new, state-of-the-art venue."

The city already has $8 million set aside in public access fees and received a $2 million grant from the state last fall. The additional $11 million would come through a combination of private donors, sponsorships, grants and a bank loan, if needed, according to the city.

Capitol Fundraising Associates, a Lansing-based consulting company, is working with the city to raise the remaining balance for the project. Several organizations, community groups and corporations have shown interest in contributing to the project, according to city officials. 

According to a feasibility study conducted by AMS Planning and Research on behalf of the city in 2019, about 87% of Lansing residents want a performing arts venue downtown. 

The cost to build the venue is offset by the revenue it is expected to generate. Including the costs of design, construction and management, the project is estimated to generate $39 million in economic activity and $2.8 million in government revenues, according to the feasibility study.

The study also found that there is a need for performance spaces between Detroit and Grand Rapids with a capacity between 1,500 and 2,000 people. By building a facility of this size, it's estimated that Lansing could attract more than 2.7 million people from 302 zip codes.

The venue's midrange size will minimize competition with nearby facilities like the Wharton Center in East Lansing, where the Lansing Symphony Orchestra performs, and the newly announced music venue at nearby 224 S. Washington Square, which can fit only 600 people standing.

"It's all complementary," Schor said. "We don't have a midrange...so if someone's got a concert, they're either going to Detroit or Grand Rapids or up to Mount Pleasant...this is something we need." 

The venue is expected to bring 190,000 people into Lansing annually, with total estimated spending of $5.3 million. 

"Bringing thousands of people to downtown Lansing for concerts and other events throughout the year will have such an incredible impact on our small businesses here," Schor said. "This amazing venue will truly be transformational for Lansing.”

Construction is expected to begin this summer, according to Jeff Deehan, the principal developer for Dymaxion Development on the project. 

"Once we really understand what our final financing gap is, it's smooth sailing," he said. 

The city is entering its final fundraising and planning stages for the project. As the venue moves toward a groundbreaking later this year, residents will have opportunities to provide input and feedback during City Council meetings. 

Contact reporter Elena Durnbaugh at (517) 231-9501 or edurnbaugh@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ElenaDurnbaugh.