ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown's planned The Archer music venue is ready to be handed it off to its concert promoter, and will open in February, developers said Wednesday.
Live Nation, the country's top music promoter, will book shows for the state-of-the-art entertainment venue at 935-939 Hamilton St., the promoter announced.
In addition, to support the venue, Live Nation will create more than 200 permanent jobs with base pay starting at $20/hour for all staff, it said.
“Archer Music Hall will be a world-class concert venue, unlike anything in the region, so it’s fitting that the worldwide leader in live entertainment, Live Nation, will operate the venue."J.B. Reilly, president of City Center Group
“Archer Music Hall will be a world-class concert venue, unlike anything in the region, so it’s fitting that the worldwide leader in live entertainment, Live Nation, will operate the venue," said J.B. Reilly, president of City Center Group, which is building the venue.
"The Archer will play a significant role in downtown Allentown’s vibrancy, economy and prominence, and Live Nation is the perfect group to help re-energize the Downtown West neighborhood.”
Geoff Gordon, president of Live Nation’s Northeast Region, said that "with City Center's remarkable and continued investment in this thriving market, there is a surge of excitement in Allentown.
"And we're honored that City Center has chosen us to operate two new state-of-the-art live entertainment venues, Archer Music Hall and the Arrow."
Last month, Metropolitan Acoustics, an acoustics and vibration consulting firm based in Philadelphia that works with Live Nation, said it had concluded tests at the venue.
'Two huge wins for downtown Allentown'
Live Nation did not give a precise opening date, nor offer any possible acts for the venue.
The 31,000-square-foot music hall “will attract a diverse slate of touring artists to the Lehigh Valley,” Live Nation said in the announcement.
In addition to its main performance space — which officials previously said would be 1,800, but which was listed at 1,600 in Wednesday's release — The Archer will offer Arrow, a 500-capacity venue inside Archer Music Hall.
Live Nation called Arrow “an intimate club within the club” that will feature both up-and-coming artists and local acts.
Between both rooms, the venue is expected to hold more than 200 shows each year and “will bring an incredible amount of foot traffic to the neighborhood,” Live Nation said.
"The Archer will be an iconic destination in the city’s vibrant Downtown West neighborhood. We’re excited to welcome music fans to Downtown West and look forward to their support of nearby businesses.”State Sen. Nick Miller, in a release
The multi-purpose venue will be a community gathering space that can also host private and special events, Live Nation said.
“The opening of Archer Music Hall and Live Nation’s commitment to operate it are two huge wins for downtown Allentown," state Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton, said in a release.
"The Archer will be an iconic destination in the city’s vibrant Downtown West neighborhood. We’re excited to welcome music fans to Downtown West and look forward to their support of nearby businesses.”
State Rep. Josh Siegel, D-22nd District, agreed, saying, “Archer Music Hall joins Da Vinci Science Center and the PPL Center in continuing to elevate Allentown to a world-class city and active our vibrant downtown adding first-rate amenities and experiences."
"These types of attractions are at the forefront of reorienting our cities and our development around quality of place and quality of life-," Siegel said.
"In an era when workers have the freedom to work wherever they want to live instead of living where they need to work, places like Archer ensure that people choose Allentown and the Lehigh Valley.”
The news release said "Live Nation will ensure Archer offers a hospitality experience for fans, artists and crew while reflecting the spirit of Allentown."
It said Live Nation will partner with local vendors for food and beverage concessions and backstage artist hospitality programs
The venue also will feature murals by local artists, it said.
A major step
Signing an operator/promoter is a major step for the developer as it aims to open the new hall.
City Center said last year it was speaking with four leading national concert promoters, and in April declined to comment about Live Nation.
“Allentown is a dynamic community with an appreciation for live music."Jordan Zachary, Live Nation's co-president of U.S. Concerts and Chief Development Officer
Live Nation promotes, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment internationally, including Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem.
It also occasionally presents shows at Allentown's PPL Center, and is the promoter for Philadelphia venues including The Met and The Fillmore.
Jordan Zachary, Live Nation's co-president of U.S. Concerts and Chief Development Officer, said, “Allentown is a dynamic community with an appreciation for live music.
"We’re proud to partner with City Center to create a new destination for touring artists,” Zachary said.
City Center has said it plans to present three or four shows by national touring acts each week at The Archer.
Officials have said it’s designed to attract events too small for the nearby PPL Center, which can hold about 10,000 people.
Reilly told LehighValleyNews.com in 2023 that The Archer could sell more than 240,000 tickets a year. That would make it one of the busiest clubs of its size in the United States.
