The Irving Music Factory is finally rising along Highway 114, about 10 years after Irving voters agreed the city should help support a Las Colinas entertainment center.
The current developer is building a Live Nation Pavilion concert venue, an separate outdoor plaza with a performance stage, a seven-screen Alamo Drafthouse movie theater, 20 restaurants and an office building. The development will include a 1,400-space parking garage, access to neighboring office parking and will have DART rail nearby.
“It’s going to be a great place for families, people that want to go out for dinner, listen to great music on the plaza,” said general manager Tony Barraco. “I’ve lived in North Texas my whole life, and I think this is one of the most exciting entertainment restaurant venues I’ve seen.”
Barraco gave NBC 5 an exclusive tour of the project Tuesday.
The Live Nation Pavilion is set to open Aug. 31 with performances from Dave Chappelle. Other acts to follow this fall include Brad Paisley and the Goo Goo Dolls.
“There’s truly something for everybody booked,” said Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Maura Gast.
The Irvin Music Factory is considered a strong compliment to the Irving Convention Center nearby on Las Colinas Boulevard.
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Gast said Irving employers are anxious to have the entertainment center to help attract and retain workers.
“We need it from a visitor perspective, we need it from a corporate tenant perspective and, of course, it’s going to benefit our residents as well,” she said.
About 500 construction workers are on the project now and more workers than that will be employed later to run the project.
“What I’m hearing is music to my ears,” said Irving activist Anthony Bond.
He fought the past 10 years to help get the project built as a job creator for residents and a place to unite the community.
“That’s my greatest hope for this Irving Music Factory – that it will bring us all together in a tent of musical brotherhood and sisterhood,” Bond said.
The Live Nation Pavilion will open Labor Day weekend, but other restaurant openings will be staggered through the fall with a grand opening for the entire project set for December.
The city of Irving is contributing $35 million in incentives for the $180 million project.
