Minnesotans are practical people, and this is a practical solution. The 300-seat McKnight Theatre in the Ordway is being converted to an 1100-seat Concert Hall. The Concert Hall will be a much more efficient and effective use of this real estate. It will be the new home of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and will be used by many other music organizations.
The expanded capacity will relieve the scheduling pressure on the current 1900-seat Music Theater. Yet the overhead costs of the new Concert Hall will be significantly less than those for a new stand-alone venue. And the campaign’s endowment will further defray the cost to use the Concert Hall and Music Theater. In a community known for its choral and musical groups, it will create many new and exciting opportunities.