More Info Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium1924: The city pays $700,000 for the auditorium, which opens as a living memorial to Hamilton County war veterans. 1964: Civic groups and city leaders spearhead a $2.1 million renovation. The auditorium closes for nearly a year. 1966: The renovated auditorium reopens with escalators and air conditioning and the basement-level parking garage converted into exhibit space. 1985: By now, Memorial Auditorium’s mission has changed. The completion of UTC’s McKenzie Arena and the Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center eliminate the need for an all-purpose hall. So Memorial turns its focus to a mid-sized theater and concert venue. 1991: The auditorium reopens after a $7 million renovation that added dressing rooms, a hydraulic orchestra pit and new sound and lighting systems. The Tivoli Theatre1921: After two years of construction, the Tivoli opens at a cost of nearly $1 million. It was designed to house silent films and live productions. 1926: The Tivoli becomes one of the first public buildings in America to be air-conditioned. 1961: The Tivoli closes as patronage declines with the emergence of television. 1963: A grant from the Benwood Foundation allows the Tivoli to reopen after a partial renovation. 1974: The theater is placed on the National Register of Historic Places. 1976: The city buys the theater for $300,000. 1989: After a two-year renovation — funded by state, city and private money — the Tivoli reopens with cosmetic upgrades, new dressing rooms and new sound and light systems. Source: City of Chattanooga

The Tivoli Theatre Foundation plans to hand over management of the historic Tivoli Theatre and the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium to AC Entertainment.

The foundation's board was established by Mayor Andy Berke in February after the city decided to fold both of these venues into one nonprofit organization. The board was tasked by the mayor to revive these spaces by bringing in more shows and investing in capital improvements.

Board Chairman Keith Sanford said contracting with AC Entertainment to manage the venues is the right solution, and he expects them to bring a wide range of sought-after acts to Chattanooga.

AC Entertainment is no stranger to Tennessee's music scene, booking more than 1,000 shows a year and organizing a variety of music festivals including Bonnaroo, according to its founder Ashley Capps.

"We are uniquely positioned because we are part of the dialogue about all sorts of touring that is going on at every level," Capps said. " It's really about reaching out to as many different audiences as we can."

Capps has personal experience in Chattanooga — he books shows for Track 29 and has presented concerts at the Tivoli and Memorial Auditorium for decades. He said the Tivoli will continue to partner with the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera and he considers them to be valuable partners in the future of the theatre.

Capps wouldn't say what specific acts he wants to bring to the Scenic City, but said he plans to book both venues with a variety of shows ranging from Broadway to rock bands to country favorites and even well-known comedians.

"We are no stranger to the venues, or Chattanooga," he said. "There is such a creative energy in the city and the time is perfect to bring even more art and culture."

Capps believes the Tivoli will be like several of the venues he manages in Nashville and Knoxville and will function as a catalyst to boost economic activity downtown.

"It's an economic driver for development," he said. "You start bringing tens of thousands of people to downtown and they eat and they shop and they drink."

Sanford said one of the factors that made AC Entertainment stand out from the other well-qualified candidates is the work they have done to the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville. The organization took the failing theatre and revived it — also adding life and business to the surrounding city blocks.

"Where the Tivoli sits downtown hasn't changed a whole lot like other parts of the city," Sanford said. " I think having AC here could be a huge help."

Capps said he hopes to be able to oversee renovations at the Tivoli, believing that it would be an investment in the future of the community.

The city still owns both venues and will continue to put money into maintenance, Sanford said. Currently, a new HVAC system is being installed at the Tivoli and the city has set aside $750,000 in the budget for operating costs, he said.

The details of the contract between the Tivoli Foundation and AC Entertainment are still being negotiated, and most of the city employees who previously worked at the venues will work with the new management, Sanford said.

Capps said it will take at least a year for the city to start seeing drastic changes, as the venues and touring schedules already are set through the fall. But, he is confident that both the Tivoli and Memorial are positioned to offer outstanding shows.

"In the back of my mind is always the Fillmore in San Francisco. I want to create this iconic venue by presenting an extraordinary array of outstanding artists," he said. " I just ask, how can we take these incredible spaces and make them alive?"

Bruce Hartmann, president of the Times Free Press, serves on the board of the Tivoli Foundation.

Contact staff writer Kendi Anderson at kendi.anderson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592.

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