Ovation Center for Music and Arts might just get a standing cheer when it opens in Lansing next year. The long-awaited downtown music complex is under construction and will replace the entertainment component of what used to be the Lansing Civic Center, which was demolished in 1999, says Dominic Cochran, founding director of the Ovation
Center project. At the time of its construction, the large Lansing Center convention complex was intended to capture the meeting and event business previously served by the Lansing Civic Center, but the money wasn’t there for a facility that could properly fulfill the entertainment component, Cochran explains.
The $28 million Ovation Center for Music and Arts will accommodate concerts with big-name acts for about 2,000 attendees. Occupancy is higher for other events and gatherings, which Cochran says will be handled with a flexible design and projection mapping. “Imagine if it’s a punk rock show, it’s going to look one way, or if it’s a corporate event, it will look another way,” he explains.
Choose Lansing is excited about the addition of Ovation Center to Lansing’s event venue offerings, says the organization’s Chief Marketing Officer Tracy Padot. “It will provide unique meeting space steps from the state Capitol and dozens of restaurants and attractions,” she says. “Additionally, planners hosting events in the region can make use of the Ovation’s live performances as evening entertainment for convention attendees.”
