Venues: Phoenix, Toronto

Phoenix is on the verge of getting a new 1,800-capacity venue pending city council approval of a $250,000 historic preservation grant. 

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But Charlie Levy, who already owns two smaller venues, has put together some $3.5 million in private funds to transform a former car dealership into The Van Buren.

Levy’s two other downtown Phoenix locations, Valley Bar and Crescent Ballroom, together account for about 800 seats, according to KJZZ-FM in Phoenix.

The Phoenix Motor Company Building was built in 1930 and will undergo a complete renovation and preservation of historic features. – Debbie Speer

Toronto Concert Hall To Reopen

Toronto’s 1,500-capacity Concert Hall, located inside the city’s Masonic Temple, is scheduled to reopen this summer.

The 100-year-old venue will host the TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival June 23 featuring a performance from Randy Bachman, Walter Trout, and special guests, according to NOW magazine.

The hall featured big-band orchestras in the 1930s and ’40s, and went on to host Beastie Boys, The Cure, Iggy Pop, Led Zeppelin, Rage Against the Machine, Sloan, Smashing Pumpkins, The Tragically Hip and many more.

The reopening is reported to be good timing since it will give Toronto another mid-size venue. The 2,752-seat Massey Hall will close in 2019 for up to two years to undergo a $135 million renovation, NOW said. – Tina Amendola