Sneak peek at Fort Lauderdale's new War Memorial Auditorium

The Florida Panthers are about to introduce South Florida's newest concert hall, a stylish and sophisticated venue in downtown Fort Lauderdale that boasts state-of-the-art comforts and puts the "memorial" back in War Memorial Auditorium.

A bookend to the adjoining Baptist Health IcePlex in Holiday Park, the new War Memorial Auditorium is part of a $65 million renovation project that has transformed the historic art-deco barn into a modern, versatile space that can accommodate 3,400 people and a range of entertainment and events, from DJs, comedians and pop bands to wedding receptions and graduations.

The venue is scheduled to host its first concert on Jan. 21 — a performance by Grammy-winning, singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge — nearly 75 years to the day after the War Memorial first opened its doors.

To this point, the new War Memorial has scheduled only private events, including the Florida Panthers Stanley Cup ring ceremony in October. An official ribbon-cutting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 13.

The new venue will be unrecognizable to anyone who has a memory of attending an event in the former space, which now feels at once larger and more intimate.

"They are going to be wowed. They may recognize the outside of it, but they certainly won't recognize the inside of it," Florida Panthers COO Bryce Hollweg said.

What's inside

Under a soaring two-story ceiling, bracketed by two bars and filled with art-deco detailing, the lobby gives way to a cavernous event space that seems almost as deep as it is wide, with an expansive stage on the east wall. There are large bars tucked into alcoves on either side of the room, and the stage has two open VIP sections with leather recliners and other seating, each with its own bar.

The ground floor is open to accommodate standing-room concertgoers and dancing, but also allows for rows of chairs to be set up for seated shows and graduation ceremonies, or to arrange dozens of tables for wedding receptions and galas.

Upstairs, the room is surrounded on three sides by a new mezzanine level featuring multiple rows of comfortable, leather-look seating, with a tier of cocktail tables and bar-top viewing.

In addition to the Etheridge concert, other shows currently scheduled for the War Memorial Auditorium are Wallows on Feb. 24 and The Driver Era on March 7.

Wallows is a rock trio that includes Dylan Minnette, an actor best known for the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why," while The Driver Era is the brother duo Rocky and Ross Lynch, the latter once a star on the Disney Channel sitcom "Austin & Ally."

Brittany Flores, regional president of Florida, U.S. Concerts for Live Nation, says the 3,400-person capacity of the new War Memorial Auditorium fills a missing option in the market and hits a unique sweet spot for touring bands.

The War Memorial capacity falls between the 2,600 at the Broward Center's Au-Rene Theater and the 7,000 seats at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. The Pompano Beach Amphitheater can handle almost 3,000, but while there is a canopy, it's an outdoor venue. Adjacent to the War Memorial, beautifully remodeled concert hall The Parker has a capacity of just over 1,100.

"War Memorial Auditorium is the only ballroom of its kind in South Florida, and we're looking forward to booking acts there," Flores said. "With a 3,400 capacity, it offers a unique mix of a GA floor and loge seating, giving fans an intimate concert experience while still being able to accommodate artists with larger audiences."

'A living memorial'

The War Memorial Auditorium renovation project was designed to return the venue to an "original glory" that many residents of the city never experienced.

The building opened on Jan. 14, 1950, with a gala event attended by men in suits, women in cocktail dresses wrapped in mink stoles. It went on to host U.S. presidents, ballet companies and concerts by icons including Buddy Holly and Otis Redding.

In recent memory, the auditorium was associated with gun shows, wrestling matches, flea markets and concerts by fading musicians, and it slowly fell into disrepair as a new city was rising around it.

In 2019, the Panthers announced plans for the $65 million revitalization of the War Memorial Auditorium, and the development of the Baptist Health IcePlex, with a goal of creating a more family-friendly environment on the west side of Holiday Park.

In exchange, the city approved a 50-year , $1-a-year lease with the team, along with an $800,000 grant from money that previously had been budgeted for renovations at the site.

As part of the project, the Panthers have restored and reoriented the plaques, statues and markers that gave the venue its name. Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola is a U.S. Army veteran and a graduate of West Point, as are several other team executives, including president and CEO Matt Caldwell and Hollweg.

The decline of the War Memorial Auditorium obscured its mission, especially among new residents in the area, Hollweg said.

"It lost its luster over the years," he said. "When they walk in, they are definitely going to see the same honoring of the past and the tribute to fallen veterans."

The centerpiece of the new marble floor in the lobby is the original in-ground commemorative plaque, beautifully restored, that describes the building as "a living memorial to those whose valor perpetuates our liberty."

A wall niche over the doors from the lobby to the event space was created to display a bronze statue of a soldier that was donated in the 1970s by American Gold Star Mothers in memory of loved ones lost in the Vietnam War.

Another plaque, restored and given a new place of prominence on the facade near the entrance to the War Memorial Auditorium, honors the memory of local "heroes who made the supreme sacrifice in defense of our nation." It includes 77 names, among them World War II Medal of Honor winner Alexander "Sandy" Nininger Jr.

A second plaque at the entrance serves as a "lasting tribute" to Broward County residents who served in the Vietnam War, listing 159 names.

During the project, the Panthers also restored a monument to the underappreciated war exploits and sacrifice of the U.S. Merchant Marine. Located near the street at the front of the property, the large black-marble monument and its satellite of smaller stones inscribed with salutes to individual veterans, has been cleaned and surrounded by new landscaping.

"No one really noticed it, but now we've showcased it," Hollweg said.