GAINESVILLE – Plans were unveiled at this morning’s Gainesville City Council work session to bring an upscale live music venue and restaurant to the site currently occupied by engine #209 of the former Gainesville Midland Railroad.
Once the historic locomotive is moved to its new location on the Midtown Greenway near the intersection of Grove and Davis Streets, work on the new project will begin.
Gainesville business leaders Robert Mudd and Frank Simpson told city council members Thursday morning that Colorado Springs, Colorado,-based “B Entertainment” planned to invest up to $12-million in the construction of a 15,000-square foot music and event venue (capable of seating 1400 people), a 9000-square foot Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern Restaurant, and an 8000-square foot outdoor patio area to the 1.7-acre site at the intersection of Jesse Jewell Parkway and West Academy Street.
B Entertainment currently operates a Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern in Colorado Springs with an attached music venue and wants to replicate the campus in Gainesville.
In conjunction with this plan Gainesville says it will renovate the historic Poultry Park site directly across West Academy Street from the planned venue. According to a media release from the city, Gainesville officials have been in discussions with the Georgia Poultry Federation about upgrades to the park, including moving the monument closer to the street and creating parking spots with the available space.
Gainesville Mayor Danny Dunagan said, “Just when we thought things couldn’t get any more exciting in downtown Gainesville, B Entertainment approached city leaders about this impressive project – one we’re convinced will attract residents and visitors from all over.”
“Gainesville’s already a well-established tourism hotspot, but I’m confident this partnership with B Entertainment will take the city to new heights in comparison with other destinations in Northeast Georgia,” Dunagan said.
Mudd told councilmembers that a partnership will exist with a major talent-booking agency (AEG Entertainment) that will lead to top-tier performers who play at large city venues on weekends to come to Gainesville during the week to perform between their big-city engagements.
“It will have about 100-120 concerts per year,” Mudd told councilmembers. Mudd mentioned groups such as Journey, Diamond Rio and Easton Corbin as groups currently performing at B Entertainment’s other location who would likely perform at the Gainesville location as well.
“It’s going to be well-governed; it’s not going to be a rowdy crowd; we’re just going to have fun; we’re going to have good security. And we’re going to be great neighbors to the people that are already on the downtown square. I would encourage anybody that’s concerned to reach out to the folks in Colorado Springs, because it’s really viewed as an asset by all people there.”
Mudd said that the architecture of the planned campus will mix well with current architecture on the Gainesville Square. “Our desire is to create a building that looks like it’s been there since 1930,” Mudd explained. “There’s a lot of history in Gainesville; we love the architecture; we love the red brick…it’s going to look like it’s been there from the very beginning.”
“We’re going to work with sponsors in the region to bring naming rights to the venue; we’re going to work with the city’s economic development and infrastructure to attract regional conferences,” Mudd stated.
“We do believe that we present an opportunity to keep from sending some of these…events down into Gwinnett (County) or having to find alternative venues because we don’t have a suitable venue close to the activities here on the square,” he added.
Mudd said the facility will also be available for such events as high school proms, weddings, business meetings and conventions.
“It is going to be a venue that, in the way we expect to put this together, that is going to be an asset to the city,” Mudd predicted. “Whether there’s a fishing tournament here that needs a big closing or another event like that, this is going to be the perfect place for that to occur.”
