The public got its first look at the renovated Palace Theatre in downtown St. Paul on Friday and, for the most part, they liked what they saw.

“It looks really nice,” said Marj Kelly of St. Paul, echoing the sentiment of many in the crowd, which numbered in the hundreds. “I like that they’re honoring what it was. It’s great to see St. Paul getting with it.”

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman hosted the open house in the former vaudeville theater on West Seventh Place off Wabasha Street. The city bought the space last year for $325,000 and crews spent much of the year rehabbing the 100-year-old building with a budget of $15.6 million.

The crowd sipped hot cocoa and heard live music from local singer/songwriter Jeremy Messersmith, who performed alone on the massive stage in front of the vast, general-admission floor, which features several tiers for multiple vantage points with a large bar situated at the rear. The balcony above includes 800 reupholstered seats.

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While there still are some minor tweaks remaining — fine-tuning the mechanical systems, adding some acoustical treatments to improve the sound — the raw aesthetics of the space will remain, from the random holes in the wall to the chipped-away paint in the far corners. A handful of construction workers mingled with the crowd, shaking hands and answering questions.

Many in attendance snapped photos and shot video inside the space, exploring the modern conveniences that bumped up against century-old fixtures. Jay Gabler, a digital producer for Minnesota Public Radio, described it as “very Pinterest-y, very Instagram-y.”

Coleman spent much of the time beaming, and said he loved getting to finally share the Palace with the public. “This is going to be a special place,” he said before the doors opened. “(It will host) some pretty amazing music, I’m absolutely convinced.”

Minneapolis’ famed First Avenue will operate the venue with Chicago-based JAM Productions. As of now, only one show is booked, a March 26 performance by New York singer/songwriter Regina Spektor. But Coleman said he expected there would be another concert before that, pending the final work on the venue’s sound. The goal is to host at least 50 shows a year and to work with other downtown venues and such special events as the Twin Cities Jazz Festival.

Not everyone liked what they saw, however, including Dave Kudzia of Minneapolis. “I wasn’t impressed,” he said, leaving the Palace with his wife. “It looks like a bombed-out theater after a war. They had to do something with it, but it’s geared toward a younger person, not to people my age.”