Details of the new 6,000-seat music venue planned around the United Center as part of a $7 billion privately funded redevelopment project were released on Friday.The Music Hall, which is intended to “create a new type of music experience” in Chicago, is scheduled to open in 2028. Its design is m eant to center live performances, unlike other Chicago venues, according to a news release.Renderings released show a three-level “intimate” performances room, with panoramic stage views and dramatic lighting. The venue is also pictured to have a terrace overlooking the United Center, and dedicated community spaces. Audiences will be able to be seated near the stage to create a unique experience. Retail locations, multiple large bars and a flowing open outdoor space are planned.It’s all part of the 1901 Project, an effort aimed at transforming over 55 acres around the United Center into an attractive mixed-use neighborhood. Construction officially kicked off earlier this summer. The Music Hall is an addition to a much larger plan to weave together new developments around the United Center.Elected officials have called the project the largest private investment on the Near West Side. A rendering shows the planned $7 billion mixed-use development that would surround the United Center.RIOS The owners of the arena, the Wirtz and Reinsdorf families, announced plans for the project in 2024.The United Center, home to the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks, has guarded the Near West Side neighborhood since 1994, and is the second-busiest arena in the country, according to the project’s development team.Despite hosting 3 million guests annually for sports and concerts, a sea of surface parking lots have become what the surrounding area is known for.The lots are only half-full on a normal day, according to Michael Reinsdorf, president and CEO of the Chicago Bulls. Those 55 acres of vacant parking will transform into restaurants, retail, entertainment and community space.Residences with nearly 2,000 affordable units, and 1,309 total hotel rooms will be built.The theater-style music venue will be steps away from a 180-key hotel with dining and retail, the release said.The project has received support from elected officials, including Mayor Brandon Johnson. A rendering of The Music Hall. RIOS And in 2025, the first phase of the project — which includes the Music Hall — was unanimously approved in the City Council’s Zoning Committee.In May, the City Council approved a $54.7 million property tax break for the project’s initial phase.The Music Hall, hotel and retail spaces will be joined by two parking garages, with rooftop green space.Further plans for the mixed-use transformation include public spaces and parks, housing, retail, hospitality, offices and transportation improvements, according to a release.Contributing Abby Miller ...read more read less