Plans were announced Monday for a new historical music venue in downtown Little Rock called Little Rock Hall.
Marketed as The Hall, the 16,000-square-foot venue at 721 W. Ninth St. will “pay homage to the bygone era that saw some of the country’s greatest entertainers and musicians perform for Little Rock audiences” through its interior design and branding, according to a press release. It is scheduled to open this fall.
Construction began in June. The venue will entail a multi-purpose space capable of accommodating 300 to 1,200 people and space for special events such as receptions, fundraisers, corporate events, video shoots, trade shows and conferences.
Jeremy Hicks, ticketing and branding manager for The Hall, said the goal is to create unique live experiences while highlighting Little Rock’s rich Black history and culture and serving as an economic development driver.
“We want to be an asset to the Little Rock community and add to the diverse live music and events scene that already exists,” he said.
West Ninth Street was once the center for Black business and culture in Little Rock and even earned a reputation as “the mecca of entertainment in the South,” according to the release. The Hall sits adjacent to Dreamland Ballroom inside what had been Taborian Hall, now Arkansas Flag and Banner.
Dreamland, which also later went by the name Club Morocco, hosted live performances by legendary acts such as Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, Sammie Davis, Jr. and others.
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