Beach considers plan to raze Jackie Gleason, build anew

A new Fillmore Miami Beach Theater concept presented to Miami Beach’s finance committee by Live Nation Entertainment would raze the landmark Jackie Gleason Theater and build a new venue closer to Washington Avenue that Live Nation would run on a 20-year lease.
The finance committee voted to have the city commission examine the proposal and its potential funding opportunities.

The plans, which are still “highly conceptual,” said Sara Silvestri, design manager at Live Nation Entertainment, draw an “exciting future music venue” that adds to the future of the area, with the remodeled Miami Beach Convention Center and its new Grand Hyatt 800-room headquarters hotel, expected to open in 2026.

“We need to expand our vision [for the area],” said Commissioner Alex Fernandez.

The current Fillmore Miami Beach sits at 1700 Washington Ave., but the proposed building would be closer to Washington Avenue, “so that there will be a little bit more excitement on that street’s presence,” said Ms. Silvestri.

“The [current] building has some inefficiencies,” she added. “The Jackie Gleason Theater has gone through several lives. It was a convention center at one point; it was a performing arts center at another. Due to these various previous lives, there is capacity that is underutilized.

There are really wide corridors and spaces that aren’t being used effectively.”

“We’re proposing to create a building that is more efficient,” she said. The existing Fillmore theater site could be given back to the city – “it’s about an acre and a half of land that can be used in any way in future developments.”

The plans show a total venue capacity of 3,375 people, giving five square feet per person, with 2,800 people on the floor (standing room) and seats for 980. The second floor would have seating for 422 people, 80 box seats, 66 premium seats and seven accessible access seats.

A lobby bar would face Washington Avenue.

A dedicated loading area would be on the west side, across from the Miami Beach Convention Center, as well as dressing rooms, office space, state-of-the-art crew areas, and a catering kitchen.

“If we were to move forward with a new theater, we would need to find funding,” said Commissioner David Richardson. “I am very supportive of the concept, because I don’t want to put any more money into the old building.”

This project would cost about $70 million. Benjamin Weeden, chief financial officer at Live Nation, said the company would contribute $10 million, with annual rent of $1.5 million that would necessitate a 20-year agreement.

In a November 2022 referendum, Miami Beach residents approved an arts and culture general obligation bond that was to fund $29.1 million in capital improvements to the Fillmore by Live Nation.

These improvements were to include replacement of auditorium furniture and finishes, lighting upgrades, painting and carpet replacements, repairs to the catwalk structural panels at the Stage Roof Penthouse + Lapeyre Stair, exterior window and door replacement; exterior structural repairs, driveway redesign and enhanced pedestrian area, a second floor VIA area and a new commercial kitchen, acoustical improvements at the dressing rooms and corridors, freight elevator renewal, exhaust system renewal, chilled water piping renewal, other electrical and plumbing enhancements, and upgrades to the existing fire protection system, among others improvements.

Shifting that bonds money to the proposed new structure, the city would still need to find approximately $30 million more.

A suggestion for funding, said Commissioner Richardson, would be to add a $1 per ticket surcharge to the existing ticket costs at the Fillmore.

“Technology has changed,” said Commissioner Fernandez. “Before, we were very limited on the type of productions Miami Beach was able to attract into that facility.”