Mayor Jim Darling and the City Commission broke ground Thursday July 24, 2014 on the new $45 million McAllen Performing Arts Center that will become another signature facility in the city and host everything from big Broadway shows to local recitals.
City Commissioner and Mayor Darling touted the benefits of the new facility at the groundbreaking that included the building’s designers ERO Architects with Holzman Moss Bottino, the contractor SpawGlass Construction, city officials and members of the community. The vision behind the 1,800-seat performance center is to create a dynamic venue that rivals any big city but will also meet the needs of the local community.
“This great new performance hall will be a huge step forward for the City of McAllen,” said Mayor Jim Darling. “The citizens of McAllen will soon have one of the best venues in the country to enjoy musicals, the symphony and recitals. It will be a fun gathering place for McAllen and Valley families.”
In November, voters approved the issuance of $15 million in bonds for the McAllen Performing Arts Center. The McAllen PAC is being built across the street from the new 6-story, $20 million Embassy Suites hotel. The iconic facility will occupy the southeast side of the McAllen Convention Center grounds and will also be next to the Veterans War Memorial of Texas.
Scheduled to open in the fall 2016, the new McAllen Performing Arts Center will welcome a wide range of nationally recognized productions of music, dance and theater to the residents of South Texas. The vision behind the $45 million performance center is to create a dynamic venue that rivals any big city but will also meet the needs of the local community.
The City currently attracts over 170 shows a year. They perform at the Convention Center’s exhibit halls and the Civic Center auditorium. The new venue is anticipated to draw over 200 shows a year featuring Broadway touring shows, Mexican touring plays, popular music concert tours, comedy tours, symphonic orchestra and band concerts, as well as popular family show tours.
ERO Architects with Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture is designing the 93,000-sq.-ft. facility that will feature state-of-the-art technology in acoustics, audio, lighting and stage support. The auditorium will feature adjustable acoustics to accommodate popular music to symphonic orchestra; a robust acoustical shell with a celestial ceiling; and four levels of seating, including 1,093 seats in the main auditorium level, 422 seats in the first balcony level and 301 seats in the upper balcony, meeting Americans with Disabilities Act standards.