A glaring void in Huntsville's music venue landscape should be filled by next fall.

Construction for Von Braun Center's new 1,200-capacity music hall is expected to begin within a month and should be completed in 14 months, according to VBC Assistant Director Michael Vojticek. "The city council has approved the construction contract," Vojticek says via email. "All permitting has been approved to begin construction."

Vojticek says the Von Braun Center has already been in discussion with several promoters interested in booking the venue: "We will try and book acts that are touring in the region. Acts who typically play venues such as (Birmingham's) Iron City Music Hall, (Tuscaloosa's) Druid City Music Hall, (Nashville's) Marathon Music Works and (Asheville, N.C.'s) Orange Peel."

Artists currently scheduled to play one or more of those existing Southern venues comprise quite an array. They range from hipster singer/songwriters like Father John Misty, Courtney Barnett and Car Seat Headrest to glam-rockers The Struts and jazz-experimentalist Kamasi Washington. Younger roots-acts like Anderson East and First Aid Kit and established touring artists too, such as Social Distortion, Primus, The Decemberists, Neko Case, Marilyn Manson and Franz Ferdinand.

In March 2017, AL.com broke the news the VBC was looking to add a new venue to its facilities. Existing spaces used to host live music there include 9,000-capacity Propst Arena, 1,995-seat Mark C. Smith Concert Hall and 330-seat VBC Playhouse.

The new VBC music hall's design will feature an open-floor plan and balcony. (See architectural renderings included with this story.) There will also be a rooftop bar and food component. The venue will be located on the VBC's northeast side, on the corner of Monroe Street and Clinton Avenue, near the VBC Playhouse. While the construction will necessitate relocation of Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and Broadway Theatre League offices there, the Playhouse will not be impacted, says VBC Marketing and Public Relations Manager Brooke Izzo. (The VBC previously targeted construction to begin in January 2018 and complete late-spring/early-summer 2019.)

While there have been internal discussions regarding what to name the new venue there, the Von Braun Center has yet to settle on an appellation. A request for proposal for naming rights opportunities will be issued, and interested parties should contact Von Braun Center Executive Director Steve Maples.

Huntsville has lacked a dedicated, 1,000-ish capacity music venue since the May 2013 shuttering of Crossroads downtown. During a 17-year run - the first 10 or so occurring at its original, old Heart of Huntsville Mall location - Crossroads hosted shows by the likes of Alabama Shakes, Jason Isbell and Drive-By Truckers.

After Crossroads, many ascendant bands and established club-level touring acts of a certain level no longer had a place to perform in Huntsville. Thousand or so capacity venues are also a key bridge in an artist's touring evolution in a market, before they move up to theater-sized rooms and occasionally even arenas. The 2017 opening of SideTracks Music Hall at 415 Church St. brought more club-level shows here, such as buzz-band Sheer Mag. But since SideTracks' capacity is around 375 there remains a Crossroads-sized void in Huntsville's venue mix. (Local breweries and arts facility Lowe Mill have also helped provide stages for small- to midsize-club acts, post-Crossroads.)

In past interviews with AL.com, Vojticek indicated Crossroads closure and lack of a true replacement arising as key factors in the VBC's interest in building a similarly sized venue. Bailey-Harris Construction, of Huntsville, is general contractor for the new VBC music hall. The company's previous work includes Jemison High School and a currently under-construction University of Alabama in Huntsville residence hall. Huntsville firm Matheny Goldmon is the project's architect. The firm's resume includes circa-2009 Mark C. Smith Music Hall and Propst Arena renovations. Vojticek says the upcoming 1,200-capacity music hall "will look exactly like the architectural renderings" provided to AL.com and also shared via Von Braun Center social media.

About two-thirds of the project's $12 million budget will come directly from the VBC via revenue generated there, while a City of Huntsville lodging tax will provide the other third. The new music venue is part of a $42 million VBC expansion - also involving North Hall renovations, parking garage expansion, ballroom and other components - intended to keep the facility competitive as a convention site.

Improving Huntsville's music culture is becoming an increasing matter of focus here. The city plans to build an 8,500-capactity amphitheater, funded by Huntsville's Capital Improvement Plan, at University Drive mixed-use development MidCity. There's also a privately funded, multi-purpose performing arts center called MidCity Live planned for that project, by real estate developer RCP Companies. A music-business incubator called The 7-2 is also slated for MidCity.

The city recently hired London firm Sound Diplomacy to conduct a "music audit," to inventory Huntsville's existing musical resources (venues, artists, support infrastructure, etc.), determine how to more efficiently utilize those resources and plan future measures. City leaders hope improving Huntsville's music culture will make the city more attractive for young professionals and companies employing them, as well as giving residents more opportunities to see concerts in Huntsville. And thus, keep associated spending (food, drink, etc.) here as well - instead of going to, say, Birmingham, Nashville or Chattanooga.

Booking for the new VBC music venue likely will begin in early 2019, Vojticek says. A staggering number of tours are available in the fall, often coinciding with new album releases, so opening next year at that time could be fortuitous. Birmingham-based concert promoter Steve Hall thinks the Von Braun Center will be able to secure marquee acts right out of the gate. "There's plenty of time to build hype for the venue, but some acts may want to wait a month or two to wait for any potential kinks to be worked out," Hall says.

While an amphitheater may be a flashier addition to Huntsville than a 1,200-capacity room, Hall says the latter has the potential to be a much more impactful: "If programmed properly, I can see a room of this size in Huntsville probably selling between 50,000 and 75,000 tickets per year with over 125 acts playing the market all year long, not just seasonal." He adds, "While fans love and appreciate the production (sound and lights) that can fit on an amphitheater's stage, those shows lose the intimate feel of a club show."

The VBC's new 1,200-capacity music hall could not only significantly increase promoters' interest in booking Huntsville shows, but that of booking agents as well, Hall says. "Huntsville is a fantastic market with both a thriving economy and passionate fans that artists want to perform in front of." Recent or upcoming shows Hall's company Steve Hall Productions has booked in the Southeast, including several in Huntsville, featured acts such as Greta Van Fleet, Black Stone Cherry, Highly Suspect, Bad Wolves, The Sword, Dorothy and Cody Jinks.

Hall believes for the new VBC music hall to be successful, it needs to be priced competitively with similarly sized Southeastern venues. And remain open to all promoters. "While the concert industry moves towards a duopoly with Live Nation and AEG's list of promoters, festival and venue acquisitions growing every month, that model locks out many potential acts from the room that could otherwise play the venue." And, thereby, keep that venue filled with fans.