When The Signal reopens at the Chattanooga Choo Choo later this month, it will be what organizers always wanted it to be — a place capable of hosting both live music concerts and events such as weddings and corporate meetings at the same time and in separate spaces.
Co-owner Josh Billue told the Chattanooga Times Free Press by phone from Memphis that the move from Chestnut Street to the former Choo Choo Convention Center space gives organizers plenty of options and sets them up for the future.
"It is a huge facility upgrade for us," he said, "and to have a Choo Choo address is a special thing."
The venues are being operated by Marathon Live, which has The Hawthorn in St. Louis; The Hall in Little Rock, Arkansas; The Truman in Kansas City, Missouri; Marathon Music Works in Nashville; and soon a new facility in Jacksonville, Florida.
Marathon staff along with Live Nation will book the acts, Billue said.
The Choo Choo complex was sold for $3.7 million recently by the Choo Choo ownership group and is undergoing a major renovation. The new Signal space is owned by brothers Garrison and Steven Summersell.
Marathon Live Chief Operating Officer Casey Osburn said by phone Monday that the renovated spaces at the Choo Choo serve several purposes for the company. It meets the company's mission to renovate older spaces, and it gives it the flexibility to configure both spaces in multiple ways.
"It is historic, and we like finding buildings with character that have a historical reference," she said. "We like to take that and really highlight it, especially if it has a historical factor in the neighborhood."
During a tour Tuesday, Osburn pointed out the various amenities of the ballroom and concert hall. The two are connected by a lobby that can be closed off, and there are green rooms for artists or brides that can be accessed from either room.
Osburn said organizers have 200 round tables and enough seating for 200 people in the ballroom. The space is essentially wide open with a bar in the lobby. It can be set up for large or small groups.
"We wanted a blank canvas so people could design it any way they want," she said.
The concert hall can present seated or standing-only shows and can hold 1,500 people. A U-shaped mezzanine was constructed in the back and on both sides and can accommodate 200 people. It can be entered by stairwells on either side of the lobby.
The area for artists and brides includes a shower and three rooms. Billue said the idea was to take the experiences and ideas organizers learned from running "The Signal 1.0," as he calls it, and improve upon them.
"It is a more specialized event space and a more specialized concert space," Billue said. "We wanted to create a better experience for the artists and a better experience for the fans and the community, really."
On Tuesday, Osburn was on-site as workers continued scraping the floors, installing the stage, bars, bathroom fixtures and numerous other checklist items needed to ready the space for a Baylor School prom April 22 and the Moth Ball, a dress-up fundraising event for women April 27. The latter event will utilize both venues.
The official grand opening will take place May 2 when local musician Nick Lutsko & the $100k Band present a free show in the concert hall.
According to a news release, The Signal has a calendar of events already scheduled for the year, including sold-out shows with Bad Omens on May 18, All Time Low on May 19 and two sold-out nights with Kevin Gates on May 26 and 27.
Thirteen events and concerts are on the books through the summer and fall so far.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.