HOUSTON – Project Row Houses announced Wednesday that the rehabilitation and renovation of the historic Eldorado Ballroom is underway.
Project Row Houses, whose mission is to empower people and enrich communities through engagement, art, and direct action, leads the project with an investment of $9.675 million that will bring the building back to the cultural, social, and economic hub of the community that it once was.
“Project Row Houses is grateful for all who have joined us to make this project possible. The Eldorado Ballroom, from the moment its doors open, has always been the soul of the Third Ward. As creative placekeepers with a deep commitment to our neighborhood, Project Row Houses is as proud to be preserving the history of this storied venue as we are to be preparing it to serve as a center for Black art, culture, and community long into the future. We can’t wait to celebrate with our friends, partners, and neighbors when the lights go down, the band hits the stage, and the ‘Rado is reborn,” said Eureka Gilkey, Executive Director of Project Row Houses.
The rehabilitation will include restoring the original 10,000-square foot building and its historic fixtures and finishes.
Although two fires destroyed much of the interior of the building, whenever possible, original wood paneling, stucco, and other original finishes and fixtures will be rehabilitated and preserved.
To allow for adding modern features, Project Row Houses is adding a 5,000-square-foot annex. The annex will have space for community gatherings and meetings, a green room, a space for brides and grooms to prepare for weddings, an elevator, and upgraded bathroom facilities. The original façade had “ribbon windows,” large windows that ran the length of the Ballroom facing Emancipation Park. The ribbon windows will return to the upstairs exterior, returning to the modernist style of the original building.
The project is expected to be completed in early 2023.
In the 1940s and 1950s, the Eldorado Ballroom was one of the nation’s most acclaimed live venues for Black musicians and audiences and hosted performances from stars like Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, B.B. King, and local legend Lightnin’ Hopkins. In the early 1970s, the Eldorado Ballroom was closed to the public after a period of economic stagnation and was gifted to Project Row Houses in 1999 by Hubert Finkelstein. It received a Texas Historical Marker in 2011.