The wait is over for Lansing music fans: Grewal Hall at 224 opens tonight

FRIDAY, Oct. 20 — After months of delays, Grewal Hall at 224 has announced its official grand opening, with shows tonight, tomorrow and Sunday evening.

Owners purchased the almost century-old building at 224 S. Washington Square, formerly the original Knapp’s department store location and later a nightclub and then a hookah lounge, last Dec. 31.

“Breathing new life into a forgotten corner of downtown was a piece of this project we relished from the beginning,” partner Scott Bell told City Pulse in May.

The venue was originally slated to open in July, but construction delays and an inability to get an occupancy permit in time caused many scheduled shows to be pushed back or canceled.

Now, with a temporary occupancy certificate issued by the city of Lansing, according to the Lansing State Journal, the venue will host comedian Steve Hofstetter 6 tonight, indie-rock band The Happy Fits with openers Windser and Hot Freaks 6 p.m. tomorrow and electronic hip-hop and jazz duo Big Gigantic with openers Levity and Ganja Girl 7 p.m. Sunday.

The 6,000-square-foot space offers a standing room capacity of 900, theater seating capacity of 400 and banquet seating capacity of 225. It’s a mid-size music venue, but it’s Lansing’s largest, and owners hope it will bring in “regional touring acts or local acts that can draw crowds somewhere between the small bar and large arena sizes,” the State Journal reported.

“In the Lansing and East Lansing area, we were missing a 900-capacity venue that can host national and international touring artists. One of our goals with Grewal Hall at 224 is to make people outside the 517 area code think of Lansing as a destination for live music and events,” Bell said in May.

On top of concerts and other live performances, the venue also plans to host weddings, corporate conferences, charity events, trade shows and more.

To purchase tickets and view a complete schedule of upcoming shows, visit hall224.com.