Webster Hall renovation moves forward with DOB plans filed

Iconic music venue Webster Hall closed this August with significant changes in the works: We knew that it would reopen under the auspices of AEG Live (of The Bowery Presents) and Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment (of the Barclays Center), and that it might eventually get a name change. Less clear were the renovations to come, and how long the East Village venue would be closed for.

Back in August, BSE CEO Brett Yormach told the Post that BSE was going to "preserve what Webster Hall means to the consumers and artists ... But we will contemporize it." Expectations were for food and beverage upgrades, plus "possible bathroom enhancements."

Now EV Grieve has a few more details, thanks to applications on file with the city’s Department of Buildings—and the renovation plan looks just a bit more involved. Several DOB applications were filed, including ones for interior demolition and structural work to upgrade the facility, as well as ones to modify the number of occupants and make the venue ADA compliant.

The architect of record is Washington, D.C.-based firm Martinez+Johnson Architecture, which has a good track record with music venues; their work includes the restoration of the spectacular Kings Theatre in Brooklyn and the Boston Opera House.

The new owners—who bought the venue last spring for $35 million—also plan to drop the club nights and focus on live music. It is still unclear when it'll reopen, but some reports suggest the renovation will take until 2020.

• Permits filed to renovate Webster Hall [EV Grieve]
• With Webster Hall closed, rumors fly about its spiffed-up future [Curbed]