Metropolitan Opera House On North Broad May Soon Undergo Major Transformation
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Folks involved with plans for the Metropolitan Opera House on North Broad Street indicate the building may soon be turned into a music venue.
Representatives of developer Eric Blumenfeld's EB Management Company and Live Nation would not officially speak on the record about the deal, but both sides indicated negotiations were in fact underway to turn the 109-year-old building at Broad and Poplar Streets into a live music venue.
The building was originally built as the home of the Philadelphia Opera Company, but was sold to rival Metropolitan Opera of New York City in 1910 after two years of mismanagement.
Over the years, the building underwent a variety of different uses and was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The building began to deteriorate in the 1980's. It was set for demolition, but was saved in 1996 after being purchased by the Reverend Mark Hatcher for his Holy Ghost Headquarters Revival Center.
In 2012, Hatcher partnered with developer Eric Blumenfeld and sold the title of the building to Blumenfled for one dollar. Hatcher filed a lawsuit against Blumenfeld in 2015 claiming he was misled, but then vacated the building the following year.
Sources indicate the 4,000 seat venue could soon be restored through a partnership with Live Nation.
