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Size matters: Does Ybor’s new concert hall measure up?
Part of the Gasworx project, the 4,300-seat venue is projected to open in late 2028.
When Ybor City’s proposed 4,300-seat concert venue opens in late 2028, it will add a much-needed medium-sized facility to the bay area.
Washington, D.C.-based real estate investor and development firm Kettler will built the theater, part of Ybor’s developing Gasworx district. The as-yet unnamed structure will be operated by national performance arts promoter Live Nation, and is close to the 7th Avenue entertainment corridor and the Centro Ybor parking garage.
Tampa’s largest concert venue, Benchmark International Arena (formerly Amalie Arena, formerly the Tampa Bay Times Forum, formerly the St. Pete Times Forum, formerly the Ice Palace) has a maximum seating capacity of 21,000. The Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre, outdoors at the Florida State Fairgrounds, can hold approximately 20,000.
(Concerts, of course, are less frequently held in 75,000-seat Raymond James Stadium; this is where fans go to see superstar extravaganzas from the likes of Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Ed Sheeran).
The University of South Florida’s Yuengling Center (formerly the USF Sun Dome) can handle a crowd of 10,000. The Straz Center for the Performing Arts’ largest theater, Morani Hall, seats 2,600.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the event center at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino has a capacity of 1,500. The Straz Center’s Ferguson Hall fits 1,000.
In December, Strategic Property Partners, with the Vinik Sports Group, announced the imminent construction of a 74-acre “walkable entertainment district” in Tampa’s Water Street District, including a 3,500-seat performance venue, on Channelside Drive in close proximity to Benchmark Arena.
Medium-capacity venues make up the “sweet spot” for promoters; they can play host to touring artists too “big” for clubs or theaters, but not “big enough” for the average arena or amphitheater.
The proposed Ybor City concert venue, on 15th Street, will feature a vintage-style marquee, as well as a brick façade, and second-level balcony, to match Ybor’s distinctive historic look.
“This project is a meaningful investment in Tampa and in the future of its music scene, growing the market and giving fans more of the shows they want close to home,” said Brittany Flores, Live Nation’s Florida Market president, in a prepared statement.
“We’re building something that reflects the energy and history of Ybor City, and helps grow Tampa as a destination for live music.”
St. Petersburg’s largest concert venue, the Mahaffey Theater, has a seating capacity of 2,100. Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall is approximately the same, while Clearwater’s outdoor BayCare Sound Arena (operated by Ruth Eckerd Hall) can hold 9,000, including covered seating and lawn seats.
