According to CBS Philly, there’s a 39,000 square foot beast of a venue coming in 2018 thanks to Live Nation. The craziest part about the “new” venue is the fact that those walking by it daily probably don’t know that it’s there or have any idea about just how incredible it once was or the rich history that it holds inside.
The Met (not to be confused with the other Met in NYC) fills an entire city block and was a bustling location at the turn of the century when it was first constructed.
It initially opened as the Philadelphia Opera House in 1908 and was one of the biggest theaters of its kind in the world. By around 1920, the opera house expanded its repertoire to showing silent films. From there, it transitioned into a cinema, a ballroom, a sports venue (including basketball, wrestling, and boxing), and finally a church.
From 1954 to 1988 it remained a church, but after membership went down and the building was declared imminently dangerous, it was closed. In 1996, it was bought by another reverend to house the Holy Ghost Headquarters Church, which invested $5 million to stabilize the building and occupied the spot from 1997 to 2013.
Now, according to Philadelphia Magazine, there will be a $45 million renovation to bring The Met back to its former glory in more ways than one. Not only will the venue offer live performances, but it will also be open for Sunday services with the Holy Ghost Church (who will maintain joint ownership of the building).
Could this be the best new venue in Philly?
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