A $3 million construction project is set to begin at The Blue Gate Theater in Shipshewana this May. Andrew Rohrer, vice president of sales and marketing at Blue Gate Hospitality spoke of the demand for bigger acts as one of the reasons for venue changes. “Our goal is always just to try to provide the music that people are asking for and people are asking for the bigger and bigger names,” Rohre said.
The money for the renovations comes from The Blue Gate itself, which consists of a restaurant, theater, hotel, bakery, and furniture store. “While $3 million is a large investment, we really feel like with the acts we’re getting in it’s going to be a good investment,” Rohre said. The capacity and seating is one of the main aspects of the remodel.
The current theater consists of a flat floor that holds a total of 1200 people, whereas the new venue is being designed to accommodate or a larger crowd with a sloping floor and a capacity of 1500.
“The furthest seat back is actually a third closer the current venue so it’s gonna feel a lot more intimate, even though there are a lot more seats there,” Rohrer said. The renovations are scheduled to be completed by January 2020, in time for the first concert in the new auditorium in February.
