Florida music hall reopens after $4.8m renovation, 58 years after closing

St Petersburg’s historic Manhattan Casino reopened on Saturday, 58 years after it closed, following a four-year renovation of the 101-year-old building. According to St Pete Catalyst, the city has spent $4.8 million on the two-storey property, which will now operate as a rentable event space in the Deuces neighbourhood.Built in 1925 by Black businessman Elder Jordan, the venue was originally known as the Jordan Dance Hall and served as a major entertainment centre for the city’s African American community. It hosted live dance music on weekends and gospel performances on Sundays. The building also became a venue for proms, graduations, pageants, parties and conferences.Its upstairs music hall later became known for performances by some of the biggest names in American music. Louis Armstrong and his band performed there three times.