The Plaza Live (Facebook | Website) is celebrating 60 years of operations with a massive $10 million renovation and they’re almost finished construction.
The performance venue, which is also home to the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, is getting almost completely overhauled with a long list of projects including a new rotunda in the front lobby, an expanded main bar, a new additional bar that serves the lobby, the front parking lot, and a new private VIP room that’s available for pre-game/event rentals, and a whopping new air conditioning system that representatives told Bungalower would be a “game changer.”
The main theater has been gutted as well, with a new two-tiered layout which will see the addition of a leaning rail a la Hard Rock Live Orlando with enhanced sightlines, and a more open area closer to the stage that can be used for tabled, seated, or standing-only events.
The iconic spire is also being refurbished and once complete, will be filled with fancy new LED lighting a la the Jack Kazanzas Star and the Linton E. Memorial Fountain at Lake Eola.
Megan Kelly, the executive director of the Plaza Foundation, has shared that they are looking to have a temporary permit to accommodate a K-Pop concert on January 9, followed by another spurt of construction work, before opening for reals in early February.
The Plaza Live made headlines earlier in the year when the State of Florida threatened to revoke its liquor license after hosting a touring Christmas-themed drag show and allowing minors to attend. The State and Plaza Live have allegedly settled that dispute with a $5,000 fine and a pledge to never do it again, according to recent reports, though Plaza Live management was unable to confirm or deny the stories due to their agreement with the Florida Government.
The Plaza Live is located at 425 N. Bumby Avenue [GMap] in The Milk District.
