Work is well underway to renovate the interior of Annie Merner Chapel.
Owner Mike Hayes and management of Twisted Tree Music Hall announced on Facebook on Thursday that they need to have more space for opportunities to bring higher profile artists and events to Jacksonville.
The announcement says that the current space on East Morton Avenue doesn’t have enough space to accommodate events and artists of that size.
Hayes and company said that with the destruction of McClelland Dining Hall by fire last summer, they were left with a financial decision to make concerning the chapel. The Chapel has begun a renovation and rebirth as a new facility. The renovations so far have included painting the steeple, replacing the aging boiler system, and renovations for turning the venue into a center for larger concerts, events and weddings/receptions. Gone will be the sloped floor and the seating in the sanctuary. It will be replaced by a new, level floor and a wide open space that will have flexibility to host events of all sizes and varieties.
The Annie Merner name will soon be removed as well. Merner donated millions of dollars for buildings throughout the late 30s and 40s, including MacMurray College and Illinois Wesleyan. As such, the building will be rebranded as the Twisted Tree Event Center which will be focused on concerts, performing arts, and community and private events. Twisted Tree will be upgrading the audio and video equipment, improving accessibility to the building, and providing a one-stop experience for hosting larger events, weddings, and receptions in a single location.
No information was provided on what will occur with the 1952 Opus 1150 Aeolian-Skinner G. Donald Harrison signature organ.
The chapel is slated to reopen to the public in April in time for the 2025 Beaux Arts Ball.